


The Chance of Love

by chami_time



Series: The Chance of Love Universe [1]
Category: DBSK | Tohoshinki | TVfXQ | TVXQ, JYJ (Band)
Genre: Brotherhood, Businessmen, Childhood Memories, Drama & Romance, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Happy Ending, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Heir, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, Slow Burn, Step-siblings, Strained Friendships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-16 01:55:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 25,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29445900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chami_time/pseuds/chami_time
Summary: Yunho's in a better place in his life and has all but suppressed his feelings for his childhood bestfriend, but Jaejoong's return to Seoul after seven whole years sets in motion a series of events that make him question everything he thought he knew. Secrets are revealed, some misunderstandings are cleared while others are created as Jaejoong tries to worm his way back into Yunho's good graces...but things don't always go according to plan.Within the span of 1 month, Jung Yunho loses his love, his work, his 𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑟𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒 to his younger brother.
Relationships: Jung Yunho (DBSK)/Kim Jaejoong, Kim Jaejoong/Shim Changmin
Series: The Chance of Love Universe [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2162892
Comments: 21
Kudos: 13





	1. Begin

**Author's Note:**

> IT IS FINALLY HERE- BEHOLD THE RICH HEIRS BROTHERS JUNG AND SHIM AU. Shoutout to my wonderful beta blushingcat here on ao3![](https://archiveofourown.org/users/blushingcat)

“I don’t understand why you need me to look this over, Changmin can easily handle this case.”

Yunho pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, raising his gaze from the folder placed on the table to the bespectacled old man sitting opposite him. He was dressed as neatly as one would expect a man working in the corporate world to; complete with a sharp black suit, dark hair with grey streaks running through them neatly divided and smoothened with a tad too much product. And yet, despite his clean appearance, Yunho knew firsthand Go Jun Pil was anything but a greedy old geezer, with a reputation for misbehaving with the female staff and sucking up to the bosses to stay in his position. Unluckily for Yunho, none of the accusations against the bastard had been proven and he was begrudgingly good at his job.

“Mr. Jung, the buyers have been our clients for the past six years and I’m afraid your brother, for the lack of a better word, is simply not the best choice for interacting with these clients-”

“Jun Pil-ssi, all due respect but Changmin is my Chief of Marketing and much more capable than any other employee you might be thinking of replacing him with for this meeting, even if it’s yourself.”

Yunho would’ve taken pleasure in the sight of Go clenching his teeth, but he kept his eyes focussed strictly on the draft of a contract he was reviewing, knowing the lack of attention would definitely make the old bat even angrier.

“Mr Jung- your brother has a reputation for being _difficult_ \- he’s been refusing to delegate any work to the team assigned to him. I can’t let him go in there and ruin the deal-”

Yunho’s eyes flared with anger and with one quick glance, Go shut his mouth and went back to simpering, “Of course,” the old man licked his lips anxiously, “he is most capable and will undoubtedly be able to handle the case on his own, after all, the talent for it runs in his _blood_.”

Yunho paused, hands faltering a little at the subtle dig at his own family background; it was no secret that Yunho was the company’s founder’s illegitimate child.

Of course, the man sitting opposite him knew and wasted no opportunities to try and undermine Yunho’s authority. He didn’t know what the old idiot was playing at, taking turns calling Changmin names behind the younger’s back and subtly insulting Yunho to his face because of his lack of filter. But then again, Changmin wasn’t well liked either for his reputation for sticking up for Yunho.

Slowly, Yunho put his pen away from where he had been making notes on the draft, lifting his gaze to stare him down. The man, having sensed that he had crossed some serious lines, continued with a nervous gulp, “...but, as I was saying, teamwork is important for this case Mr Jung. We should be using all assigned personnel to get the best results, especially the young intern Ms Jang-”

Ah, Board member Jang’s niece; so this is what this was about. Yunho had had enough of this.

“I see. There is no need for concern Jun Pil-ssi, I will see to it that Changmin brings us good results.” Yunho paused for effect, leaning back in his seat and looking over his glasses.

Go squirmed uncomfortably under his gaze,“As for interns in the team, I hardly see how they are relevant to this conversation and I hope you will keep such recommendations to yourself in the future.”

Yunho looked at the man with a gaze just short of a glare- the message was clear as Go frowned at him before bowing and taking his leave, mouth twisted in a poor imitation of a smile; Yunho resisted the urge to throw his pretty purple paperweight at the man’s unsuspecting back. As soon as he was out of the room, Yunho let out a long suffering sigh, taking his glasses off and rubbing his face with his hand as he phoned his secretary with the other, “Jungsoo hyung, please get Changmin on the line for me.”

“Ah Yunho-ssi there’s no need, it seems like your brother is already on his way to your office, should I just let him in?”

“Yes, that’s alright. Thanks hyung.”

“No problem at all, sir.”

Yunho made a face at the honorific but held his tongue, knowing that Jungsoo had wanted to keep things professional at work and simply hung up, finding himself unnecessarily upset at the formality. The man had basically taught Yunho everything he knew about Shim Corp, back when he had been a fresh faced teenager from Gwangju, furiously focused on getting rid of his _satoori_ , determined not to let anyone look down on him.

It was a little crazy to think how his life had changed so drastically in the past twelve years, eventually bringing him where he was today. His childhood was spent on the streets of Gwangju, growing up under his mom’s care; the woman could hardly be described as an affectionate person, but Yunho was more than aware of how fiercely she loved him. His childhood had been _happy_ , and Yunho had turned out just like any other kid growing up in the country- loud, rambunctious and a little rough around the edges, though he tried not to get into _too much trouble_ for his mother’s sake.

He had met his other biological parent on his tenth birthday and subsequently found out a lot of his past that he had never bothered to inquire about. He came to know that his parents weren’t exactly in love when they had gotten pregnant with him and had proceeded to split on good terms, agreeing on having his father visit him occasionally. However, that had been an extremely difficult feat when his father had ventured off to Seoul shortly afterwards, ready to chase his dreams, dabbling in the world of business. The man had found love there, marrying and starting a family with the daughter of a famous businessman and investor, which had understandably kept him from being very involved with Yunho, though he still helped financially. Shim Jang Hyuk had found success in his career through his marriage, starting his own business with his wife’s help and had finally felt like he was in a place where he could do right by his oldest son, starting to pay him frequent visits.

His relationship with his father had been awkward at best, the young Yunho not sure how to act around this new person who had entered his formerly simple life, all the way up until his mom had made the decision that he go to school in Seoul. They had no longer been able to afford living in Gwangju while also taking care of his grandparents and the only solution was having Jang Hyuk support Yunho until he could start working. He had been fifteen and had taken the separation with his sole parent, or at least the only one who had been a constant presence in his life, _hard_.

“Yunho-ya, mom has to take care of your grandparents. I can’t have you bumming around in the village with mom when there’s so much more you can do.”

Both of them had cried through that conversation and for the first and only time in his life, Yunho had raised his voice in front of his mother, refusing to leave her. But she had been firm, convinced that she wouldn’t be the reason for her only son’s ruined future. He guesses his mom is who he takes after more, both in terms of appearance and his hard-headedness, seeing as the woman had persevered in getting her way despite Yunho’s stubborn refusal.

He fondly gazed at the picture of the two of them from a few years ago that he kept framed on his office desk, dressed in shabby raincoats and matching grins lighting their faces as they posed holding up a basket of freshly caught seafood. The picture stood out like a sore thumb in his otherwise modern and monochrome workspace- he couldn’t ever resent her for being as strong and protective as she was and had resolved to honor her choice by doing his best in Seoul. He had since been able to buy back their old house in Gwangju and tried to pay her visits at least once a month, helping around with his grandparents and the shop his mother ran, despite Yunho’s insistence that she didn’t need to work for money anymore.

It hadn’t always been as easy as it was now. He remembered how when his father had heard his mother’s request to support Yunho with money for his studies, he had happily agreed and had even gone as far as suggesting he should live _with him_ , in Seoul. Though both Yunho and his mom had insisted he could manage living by himself, he had only been fifteen and knew his mother had felt much better knowing Jang Hyuk would be looking over him, even if it came at the price of awkward dinners with the _other_ family.

Yunho was lucky his step family was as accepting of him as they were; his step mother was an amazingly accomplished woman- but she was also kind. She had always been aware of his existence and was fortunately, more than understanding and respectful of his father’s decision to help. He was especially glad to have found a brother in Changmin, which was already way more than he had expected to have when he moved in with the Shims. The younger had every reason to dislike Yunho when he had all but crashed into the thirteen-year old’s life but had instead chosen to offer him his friendship and Yunho was _so_ grateful.

Changmin had been a quiet little thing back then, wide-eyed and shy, experiencing his first growth spurt and still growing into his gangly limbs. He had seen how uncomfortable Yunho had been in that new atmosphere and after a few weeks of radio silence, which he guesses the younger had understandably taken to get used to the idea of having his step-brother around, had taken it upon himself to casually mumble things that would _just happen_ to be helpful to the ever-lost Yunho.

His _younger_ sisters had been a different story, quite a few years younger than them, Hyejin and Jiyeon were both at an age where they were used to always having their father’s affection and were more than a little spoiled. They had honestly been a little nasty with how possessive they were, constantly whining and throwing tantrums about Yunho disrupting their life and he was inclined to believe that it was their behavior that had played a role in pushing Changmin to be on Yunho’s side. The boy had unexpectedly defended him, calling them out and scolding them for being noisy and the girls hadn’t been able to do much about it.

The first time they spoke directly, Yunho had been the one to approach the younger to ask about navigating public transport in Seoul, apprehensive about asking anyone else in the house and deeming Changmin as the safest option. Changmin had startled at being spoken to, more than just a little confused by his strong _Jeolla-do_ accent but mostly just amused at Yunho’s insistence to travel by those means instead of using the many cars that were at his disposal. After that, Changmin’s curiosity couldn’t be sated, and he took to shyly asking Yunho all about his life in Gwangju at random times- about studying in public schools and working at markets, about the way he spoke and the slang he used, the stories behind the scar by his eye, and all the other ones littering his body. Yunho hadn’t known how to take the sudden interest but gradually, they had built a tentative friendship that he had found unimaginable comfort in. Slowly, they had grown into the relationship they had today, and had become _real_ brothers.

The sisters too had come around eventually, after Yunho spent a long time keeping his distance and living like a ghost in their family mansion ( _mansion!_ ). He was careful to never intrude on their family time and gradually, the sisters had begun acknowledging _him_ as family, even though he suspected Changmin would always be the only brother to them in any real sense of the word. Yunho doesn’t blame them, understanding how it might be strange, and was content to just be grateful that his life had worked out the way it had when there was so much that could have gone wrong.

He had taken an interest in the company during his university days and had eventually decided he wanted to work for them, despite knowing it wasn’t going to come easy being who he was. His assistant Jungsoo had been one of the first people that had been introduced to him in the corporate world and Yunho had immediately taken to him, the man also having come from a humble background. He had overseen his internship at the company when Yunho insisted he wanted to start from the bottom, eager to prove that he wasn’t simply going to mooch off his connection to the founder like his father had wanted him to, like the media and close business families were accusing him of, and they had developed a close friendship.

Jang Hyuk had been beyond impressed with his son’s work ethic and ideas to expand the business and together they had also established headquarters in China and the US. Looking back, he realizes that it had been the turning point in their relationship, as they had bonded over their mutual passion for the work they did. Once Yunho had graduated with his business degree, his father had insisted that he begin slowly taking over the now multi-million empire, and had become the youngest CEO for a company of their caliber the country had ever seen, catapulting Yunho and Shim Corp into the spotlight even more. With the overwhelming responsibility of carrying forth the reputation they had worked so hard to build, Yunho had resolutely requested he still work with the kind hyung who had helped him through one of the most trying times in his life.

He was jolted out of his reminiscing when his office door swung open and Changmin came sauntering into his office without having bothered to knock. He was dressed impeccably as always, in a stylish maroon blazer and fitted dress pants that accentuated the inches he now had on Yunho.

“Hyung, heard you wanted to see me.” Changmin grinned at him with his signature smile, eyes scrunching unevenly in mirth at his brother’s startled appearance. Yunho was quick to recompose himself, offering his brother an exasperated smile.

“Changmin-ah”


	2. Brother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet Shim Changmin!

“Changmin-ah, this was the third time I’ve had to talk to Jun Pil-ssi this week. Just what are you up to now?”

Changmin took a few steps forward, comfortably sliding into the seat Go had been occupying until a few minutes ago, twisting to cross his legs and picking up the paper weight Yunho had previously been fantasizing about weaponizing, throwing it from one hand to the other.

“Jun Pil? That bastard assigned the biggest suck ups in town to my team, there’s no way in hell I’m letting those idiots come anywhere near this project.”

Yunho was nodding his head before Changmin could even complete his sentence, already understanding the situation much better. He hummed in thought for a moment or two, watching Changmin eye his paper weight with light interest.

“Do you have your regulars on the team, at least?”

Changmin nodded in assent, “I already have Minseok and Minho on it, they’re doing an amazing job.”

“Just them, then? That’s too much work for three people. You need to get some more people on it, even if it’s one of the suck ups. They wouldn’t have been hired if they were completely incompetent now, would they? I’m sure they can help get the job done.”

Changmin’s expression soured but he nodded nonetheless, talking more to himself than Yunho, “Maybe...maybe I can get Choi Min Ah to help Minseok. That Hwang boy isn’t half bad either, as long as I don’t personally have to be anywhere near him…” 

He suddenly looked up, alarmed, mouth scrunching up in disgust; Yunho raised his eyebrow in question, “The intern! Your statement about not hiring incompetent folks rings completely false in her case. She’s worse than the average intern hyung...I really don’t like interns but this one is especially horrible.” 

“Ms Jang, yes. She quite resembles one of our Board members, don’t you think?” Yunho said with the most sarcastic tone he could muster and snorted as Changmin put two and two together, letting out some heartfelt choice words before looking at Yunho with a completely straight face, “Why am I not surprised? I have half a mind to bully her off the team.”

Yunho startled and admonished him immediately, “Now Changdol-ah, we don’t tolerate bullying at work- you know better than that. But feel free to be as strict with the tough love as you have to be. You should teach her to be better.”

When he finished his tirade and finally focussed on his brother’s face again, the younger looked exasperated with him, “...It was a joke, hyung”

“Even still! I expect you to lead the team well and without putting too much burden on a select few.” 

Changmin was making faces at him before he was even done, never one to hide his displeasure of Yunho’s lack of humor when it came to the company. 

Yunho leaned forward and smacked his arm and Changmin let out an unnecessarily loud cry, always one for dramatics. Yunho shook his head, gaze fond. 

Changmin sobered up just as quickly as he had descended into childishness, “Yeah yeah, but I’m warning you, I might not return completely sane once this is over”

Yunho chuckled a little at his brother’s petulance, eyes wandering back to the open window on his computer screen, “Your minions will thank you when they don’t have to work overtime anymore. You can handle the extra work, but you must think about their lives too.”

Changmin scoffed indifferently, “What lives? They don’t have lives outside the office any more than you and I do.”

“Really? I thought Minho had been seeing someone from the Creative division? Jongwoon hyung set them up I think.”

The pause made Yunho look back at Changmin and the befuddled look on his brother’s face amused him to no end; the younger was starting to scowl, voice steadily raising in volume, “That hyung is way too involved in his employees’ personal lives! Tell him to leave Minho alone! And that traitor, he hasn’t said a word to me!”

Yunho grinned hard, loving having something to hold over Changmin, who was usually the one doing the teasing, “A little involvement doesn’t hurt- you would’ve known if you had been more involved.”

Changmin sighed, recognizing the teasing for what it was and refusing to give in. He deadpanned in his most patronizing tone, “Yes hyungnim.” 

Yunho chuckled, focus slowly shifting back to his computer while his finger vigorously clicked on his computer mouse. He could almost picture the nerve in Changmin’s jaw starting to twitch in annoyance at the constant clicking. He paid him no mind.

Changmin tossed the paperweight lightly with a soft sigh before catching it again, “Jesus, take a break, would you?”

Yunho hummed noncommittally in response. Changmin sat back in his chair, lightly glaring at his brother.

“Shouldn’t _you_ of all people be against them dating at the workplace bossman?” He lunged forward in one swift motion having deemed Yunho sufficiently distracted, trying to grab the mouse out of his grip but failed as Yunho, with his startlingly good reflexes, moved it out of the way just in time. 

He let out an indignant squawk rather unbecoming of him. Changmin snickered.

Yunho glared at him, mouth settling into a pout as he determinedly went back to messing around with files on his computer. “There’s no reason to. The two of them work in different departments- so they don’t technically work together aside from the title of working for the same company.”

Changmin whistled, “Who knew straight-laced rule follower Jung Yunho can soften in the face of love. I’m impressed hyungnim.” 

“Fuck off dongsaeng.”

“Cussing at work too? I would never! I should tell dad he should make me boss instead.” 

Changmin laughed obnoxiously at Yunho’s exasperated glare, both men knowing that was the farthest thing from what Changmin ever wanted to do. 

Shim Corp was Yunho’s pride and joy, the man having contributed his blood, sweat and tears to expand the company their father had founded and get it to where it was today, making it to Fortune’s top 1000 on worldwide rankings. Changmin on the other hand, had ended up in the family business _just because_ , more than happy to have Yunho take on the burden. He had no intentions to try and take over, despite his status as the oldest _legitimate _child of Shim Jang Hyuk and Yoo In Ah, daughter of a business tycoon that had basically ruled over the country’s economy back when Shim Corp was just a tiny startup.__

____

____

He was aware that there were people around them who liked to remind the younger of the fact on the daily. At some point, Yunho himself had grown weary that the younger would grow to want to claim what was _rightfully_ his and Yunho would never have it in him to fight him for it, despite how hard he had worked for the company. The moment Changmin wanted it, Yunho would easily step away. But Changmin had always said to him that Yunho had deserved the position and did it justice like he _never_ could- even to Yunho’s vehement protests for the younger not to sell himself short. He had repeatedly assured him, unprompted, that he didn't want it. When anyone, family or staff, would imply otherwise, Changmin's sharp tongue would quickly shut them down - and Yunho was always so grateful. It was a testament to their strong relationship and loyalty to each other they could easily joke about a topic that should’ve been sore.

“Look at you overthinking again.” 

Changmin threw him a sharp look, probably having caught onto his train of thought and Yunho flashed him a sheepish grin. Changmin scoffed, shaking his head for good measure, “The great Jung Yunho, how could I ever compare to your excellency? The throne befits a king, of course and I am but a pauper-”

“Stop stop, I get it.” 

Changmin barked out an obnoxious laugh, uncrossing his legs and leaning forward a little to get in Yunho’s face.

“I’ll be leaving then, if you’re not going to pay attention to what I say anyway. I’ve got the deal in the bag.” 

The younger made a big show of getting up from his chair, mouth still turned up in a smile, satisfied to have successfully distracted his workaholic brother from his brooding. He waved goodbye and stepped out of the office with a shit-eating grin still in place, when Yunho noticed him slipping the purple paperweight into his pocket, “I’m keeping this.” 

“Wha-hey! That’s mine!”

But of course Changmin simply disappeared, only leaving behind the echoes of his laughter.

Work, after that, had thankfully gone relatively smoothly- and so of course something had to happen to ruin the peace. It was when Yunho was getting ready to wrap up and head home when his assistant knocked on his door, “Sir.”

“Hyung, it’s almost time to go home- please just speak comfortably.”

“As you wish Yunho-ya. Someone’s here to see you again.”

“Again? Is it...?”

“The one and only. The receptionist is stalling him.”

“Oh.”

Yunho sighed for the umpteenth time that day, wondering why the day couldn’t go without an event for once, heart starting to race at the prospect of who he would have to face soon, dreading the encounter with his entire being.

“What is it now?”

“It’s his sister’s wedding.”

“...I thought I went to that two months ago?”

“Different sister- you know he has eight. Just- see him once, this is the third time he’s visited. You can’t keep avoiding him forever.”

Yunho knew he was right, knew that there was no point hiding from his past despite how much he wanted to. And so he took in a deep breath and prepared to meet Kim Jaejoong again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kudos and comments are always appreciated!! I will be posting a new chapter on a weekly basis from now on. Find me on twitter to spaz about this AU @seokjinhot


	3. Of First Loves and Heartbreaks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Predictably enough though, it wasn’t Changmin his eyes landed on first, for they were immediately drawn to _him _.__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aka, Kim Jaejoong is in town suckahz

Yunho had an incredible urge to slam his head against the desk but he resisted for Jungsoo’s sake as his heart started to beat a little frantically, palms sweaty with nerves. 

In the end, he rallied himself with the help of his assistant's long-suffering expression and the thought that the poor receptionist was a new hire who wasn’t getting paid enough to deal with whatever he was about to do. He rose from his chair, thankful for the excuse to stand and stretch for a little, carefully avoiding Jungsoo’s eyes should his nervousness show. He stalled a little, checking his phone despite knowing there was nothing urgent for him to look at before making up his mind to just get on with it. He began making his way to the waiting area, Jungsoo following a few steps behind him, “Better get there before your brother does.”

Yunho paused in his step, groaned and continued on walking in double time. Because if handling Kim Jaejoong by himself was one thing, throwing Changmin into the mix was another thing altogether; his employees could probably attest to the conclusion from the screaming match that had been the result of their reunion a few weeks ago. Luckily, Yunho hadn’t been around when that particular disaster had gone down. He involuntarily hurried his steps, but unfortunately, not quick enough, seeing as he could hear Changmin’s mocking laughter echoing down the hallway as he turned into the lobby for the waiting area.

Predictably enough though, it wasn’t Changmin his eyes landed on first, for they were immediately drawn to _him._

It seemed he had dyed his hair blonde recently, styled into gentle curls that splayed over his forehead, almost covering his eyes. Yunho’s eyes ran over his face, momentarily pausing in the doorway to take his time noticing all the new laugh lines that now littered it, more than a little miffed to find that age had done nothing to take away from his handsomeness, though twenty seven was still young enough. If anything, it had only added on to it. Dressed in black skinny jeans and a red patterned button down that was half tucked in, he looked awfully out of place in the modern building filled with crisp suits. He looked...good, if not for the slight shadows under his eyes and a slimmer face, so different yet familiar to the baby-faced teenager of his memories, the one that still had all his baby fat sticking to his cheeks at almost twenty-years old. 

He guessed it would also help if Jaejoong wasn’t scowling as fiercely as he was, face scrunched up in annoyance, reminding him of an angry kitten ready to pounce and scratch one’s face off. He was glaring _hard_ , arms crossed and foot tapping in anger and it didn’t take much to narrow the source of his displeasure being Yunho’s idiot brother. 

Jaejoong’s vision narrowed in on Yunho once he got close enough, eyes widening in surprise and Yunho’s heart gave an ominous thump, but the next words out of the man’s mouth brought him crashing back to the present, “You! Call your brat off!” 

Changmin’s eyes widened when he noticed Yunho, and he immediately went back to scowling at Jaejoong twice as intensely. 

Yunho could already feel his hair greying. 

“It’s not that easy, your majesty. Where do you get off ordering around the owner of the damn building like that?” 

His brother was leaning against the welcome desk much to the receptionist’s chagrin, trying to look indifferent though Yunho could tell his demeanor was anything but casual. Jaejoong, on the other hand, was visibly straining to control the urge to hit said dongsaeng in the face- wouldn’t be the first time anyway. 

“That’s for Yunho to decide and I’m sure he’ll agree, seeing as he wouldn’t want your immature ass here either.” 

“Guys-” 

“Careful now, those words from your mouth make you sound like the hypocrite that you are Kim.” 

“Changmin!” 

His brother pushed off the desk with an eye roll, throwing one last meaningful look at Yunho before walking away even as Jaejoong continued taunting him loudly, sticking his tongue out for good measure, “Oh would you look at that, looks like I was right after all. Be a good boy and run along, little Changminnie” 

Fortunately for Yunho, Changmin didn’t bother to grace him with a reply except for flashing him the bird as he walked away. 

_"Jaejoong”_

Instantly, the man’s eyes shifted to Yunho and his entire demeanor brightened up, eyes softening into a very familiar, sickeningly fond look, voice lilting, “Yunho!” 

It alarmed Yunho how easily the room seemed to have brightened up. 

“Sooyoung noona is getting married. I’m here to hand over the invite!” 

Yunho pressed his lips together in what he hoped passed for a polite smile, determined to make this encounter as quick and painless as possible, “I heard, congratulations are in order. You shouldn’t have bothered to come all the way-” 

“Nonsense! You know I’ve been wanting to come see you for so long.” 

Jaejoong beamed up at him and Yunho thought back to how only a few years ago, the sight would’ve made his heart speed up and get adrenaline pumping in his veins. But after spending years struggling to bury those feelings, it seemed like he had finally succeeded- somewhat. Jaejoong’s smiles no longer brought about a full body reaction, if only a little uncomfortable twinge in his gut. Or maybe it was just wishful thinking, and the moment Yunho let his guard down, he would be knocked off his high horse of dignity and land back into the shameful puddle of unrequited love he has harbored for years. 

“Noona’s so excited, she’s only been seeing the guy for eight months or so but she’s known him for almost six years- isn’t it crazy how relationships just shift like that? We’ve reserved the Grand Hyatt for the celebrations, she’s gone crazy on the party prep- oh you have to see it Yunho-ya, they’re flying in this DJ for the afterparty-” 

“That sounds nice, though I’m not sure if I’ll be able to attend until the end.” 

Jaejoong gaped at the interruption, mouth slowly settling into an upset frown that immediately made Yunho feel guilty. He tried to tell himself he was being the bigger person, trying to put all his past anguish behind him, to leave Jaejoong clueless about how much it still mattered to him but all it did was make him feel worse about being so hung up over things that had transpired _years_ ago. Jaejoong was here, in front of him, and all he wanted to do was be wary of him, and yet he found himself wondering a million other things, the same thoughts that had been circling inside his mind since he’d been back- _how have you been? Did you miss me at all? Did you know how much it hurt when you cut me off?_

Jaejoong broke off his train of thought when he heaved a dramatic sigh that was just so like him it almost hurt. He began complaining through his pouted mouth, voice taking on a slight nasal quality, knowing the other was resorting to whining to get his way, though it wasn’t nearly as obnoxious as it used to be when they were younger. It actually almost seemed unconscious, and Yunho was a little horrified at how he could feel fondness bloom inside him at the familiarity of it all. 

“You escaped from Sooyeon noona’s wedding too, I barely saw you for a minute and then you were gone!” 

Right, Sooyeon noona’s wedding. Jaejoong’s hair had been a dark brown then; their first meeting in _seven _years and that too at a wedding of all places, the romantic backdrop not doing his confused heart any favors. Yunho hadn’t known Jaejoong was planning on being there and had himself arrived late, missing the other’s appearance at the ceremony. Inevitably, they had found each other at the afterparty, and the other had greeted Yunho like they had never even said goodbye, smiling at him, beatific, confident and as gorgeous as always.__

____

____

And Yunho? Why, he had taken one look at him and panicked. Deciding he couldn’t stay, not ready to do whatever it was that he was supposed to do in that position, he had made up some random excuse to get out of the party, getting away with a garbled excuse of a greeting before making his escape. 

“Ah sorry, I had something urgent come up-” 

He tried not to let Jaejoong’s gradually darkening expression sway him too much, but still ended up hastily tacking on excuses to make up for the coldness he knew he was dripping through his words, “-not to mention it’s no fun being sober during a party- it’s just, not my thing.” 

He couldn’t help but feel small and pathetic, knowing that the right thing to do would be to escape this confrontation as soon as he could, and yet a small, shameful part of him was secretly bursting with equal parts anger and nervousness and _excitement_ \- because here Jaejoong was so close to him for the first time in years, after so much silence and pain and resentment that other was probably oblivious to, seeing as he was acting like the past seven years hadn’t happened. He swallowed and looked away briefly, his eyes finding the other’s once again, but this time he forced himself not just to act indifferent but to _feel_ indifferent, never mind the impossibility of such a feat; for if he could just turn his feelings off, he would have done it years ago. 

Jaejoong smiled at him a little too knowingly, subdued but still pacified at Yunho’s attempt at excuses, “You still can’t handle alcohol well, can you? Oh well, I’ve seen you have fun without. Take a break Yunho, you’ve been so busy that I’ve only seen you a handful of times since I came back and never for more than five minutes…” 

Jaejoong’s eyes glazed over with nostalgia and warmth and Yunho’s heart ached at the thought that the other must have felt his loss too, a hand reaching out to pat Yunho’s arm and he couldn’t help but stiffen at the contact despite barely feeling the warmth of it through his suit jacket. Yunho shifted on his spot, not wanting to make the other aware that some of his busyness may have been intentional but also not ready to admit that he cared about the other’s attempts to talk to him again more than he was willing to admit. He squirmed away from his hand as subtly as he could and looked away again to reel in his emotions, nodding a little before mumbling that he would try his best to stay this time. 

Jaejoong smiled at him and pulled away, a little sadly for he could probably sense the white lie, and Yunho could imagine why the man would be upset. After all, Yunho had never said anything to show that he cared and he could tell Jaejoong was most definitely struggling to understand why his once best friend was determined to stay as far away from him as possible. But then again, it had been years since the two of them had basically stopped keeping in contact. 

When Jaejoong had left without a word, Yunho had heard nothing from him for _years_ \- years that had allowed him to spiral into going from trusting the other must have had a reason to slowly believing the malicious rumors that had surrounded the issue of his departure and led him to keeping the other mostly cut off when he had tried reaching out later. But he had always been curious and concerned, and _just_ selfish enough to indulge in the vague knowledge of his safety and whereabouts, his weak heart too biased to ever sever all ties. 

The attempts at talking to him had been few and far between in the years that had followed, and aside from birthday greetings and formalities from Jaejoong’s end, the amount of phone calls had slowly dwindled into less and less until there were none and Yunho had talked himself into believing this was better. There had been nothing for the last two years, but then he had come back, like a storm ready to wreak havoc in his life again, after Yunho had struggled to make peace with the fact they would never meet again. Surely, they weren’t supposed to be acting all familiar with each other after all the distance? 

_Why is that Yunho? If he hadn’t left, if you had made him stay, maybe if you had returned his calls-_

Because sometimes he had- he had missed some by accident and others on purpose- but there had also been times when he had returned his calls, determined to give Jaejoong the benefit of the doubt. The first time had been close to 3 years after his leaving, and he remembered his hands shaking as he had swiped to answer. He remembered Jaejoong’s voice ringing through his apartment, cheerfully inquiring how he’d been and Yunho hadn’t been able to feel anything but white hot rage and betrayal, endless repeats of ‘now you call me?’ haunting his thoughts. He had only managed silently listening for a few minutes before hanging up, panting in anger and tears prickling his eyes, feeling more shaken than he expected to be. 

The wound somehow remained fresh every time he thought it must have healed over and tried talking to the other, but each time he found that he couldn’t bear having to put up front and act like they could play catch up like the years past had never happened, not when he still had a broken heart to nurse, while the other had moved on and begun living a new life that had no place or time for Yunho. He often caught himself thinking about it, knowing what happened had been huge, and that Jaejoong must have suffered a lot, and that he shouldn’t be so upset about it still. But years slipped by and Yunho had not been ready; he hadn’t been ready to act like _his_ feelings hadn’t gotten hurt, to go back to being friends or a cheap version of that where they called each other twice a year and pretended to be acquaintances. His memories of their past and his own feelings deserved better than that. 

He would often see news of the other and how well he was doing, pictures of him smiling, laughing, vacationing and enjoying his life and the anger had soon been replaced with sadness and plane resentment, though it wasn’t in his nature to be so unforgiving. Jaejoong though, he was starting to see, was somehow _always_ an exception. 

And so he had given up putting himself through the misery time and time again- strongly believing nothing the other could say could make it right, not when he wouldn’t come back, not when he couldn’t be bothered to tell him his reasons years ago, when Yunho had been the one calling and texting, desperately still holding onto hope and his trust in the other. When the calls and texts had stopped altogether, Yunho had thought he could finally let go of that chapter of his life and yet, he hadn’t been able to breathe easy despite getting exactly what he wanted. 

Pretend as he might to be otherwise, Yunho knew just how weak he could be and fought everyday to stay afloat- be it in front of his family, at work or alone in his apartment- and reminded himself of the sacrifices he had made, of what was important to him and why he had to continue to keep working as hard as he did when all his past insecurities and painful memories would come back to haunt him. 

But every now and then, he would stop to think of a simpler time, even though it was far from being free of pain for he had just left behind his mother for a strange new life in a cruel new city- the time when he had met Kim Jaejoong first and all the times that came after, his careless but warm smiles, mischievous eyes and his mere presence providing him with a comfort beyond words. He had helped him _belong_ and of course, naïve and foolish and brave in his own right, Yunho had fallen for him. 

__

__

He would stop and wonder if the other might have known of his feelings; after all his past self wouldn’t have known subtlety if it hit him in the face, though troubled as he was by his newfound attraction to this man, let alone to men in general. Jaejoong had never acted any different around him, even after Yunho went through realisation after terrible realisation that he had fallen for his best friend, his best friend who was also a _boy_ and his world was crumbling all around him. And when he had finally grown to accept _that_ part of him, he had always been too scared to say anything, intimidated in the face of Jaejoong being his usual warm self, full of teasing words and affection, always up for breaking rules that Yunho tried so hard to follow. He hadn’t even known he had a chance, not until his best friend was already leaving- leaving to study abroad, leaving the country and away from him with another man that he called his lover. Yunho hadn’t _known_ and he had all but broken. 

He had spent days, months, a _year_ hoping for a word and debating what-ifs; whatif he had said something first, if he had gotten over his own dilemma and been brave enough to say something, before Jaejoong could go and leave him behind like he had, before he began loving another like Yunho loved him- but after all this time, he wasn’t too sure if there had been a chance after all, not when Jaejoong hadn’t even deemed him important enough to tell him the _when’s_ and the _how’s_ and the _why’s_ of his escape and had forgotten all about him. 

But eventually, he had grown to hate the misery that had come with his musings and had figured the best way out of his slump would be to be forced not to think, to live mindlessly and simply; sleeping, eating and following orders. And so, close to a year after Jaejoong had left, Yunho had gotten _enlisted_. 

It had been stupid, he knew that now, especially since at that point in his career, he had just entered the public eye as a potential heir to Shim Corp, and put both himself and Changmin through a lot by stepping away so quickly- the media had gone crazy spreading all sorts of rumors- but it had all somehow worked out for the better; once he was done serving, he had emerged feeling a lot more in control of his impulses and emotions, and had all but thrown himself into work, being careful to avoid any and all mention of the infamous Kim heir and before he knew it, all this time had passed. 

Of course, he had dated others, been infatuated many times since, but he felt the loss of his greatest friendship and the lack of closure manifest into an old scar he couldn’t help but pick at from time to time, still finding himself lost in shaky polaroids and broken memorabilia on the quieter days, nostalgia and residual hurt an ever present companion. 

So here he was seven years later, not knowing how to look at his first-love in the eyes without the fear of giving away his whole story, still hiding the remains of his mangled heart behind a stoic exterior. 

Jaejoong blinked and tilted his head, expression calculative and familiar, for he always made that face when he was trying to figure something or someone out. Yunho averted his gaze, nervous to think the other might be able to read him like he always could, though there was no reason he should have been able to now that they were practically strangers again. The thought left him feeling a little bitter. 

Jaejoong merely hummed in thought before trying for a smile again, “Anyway, it’ll be an awesome party, the whole family’s invited-” he paused, lips twitching with amusement, “I guess the brat can come too.” 

Yunho took the peace branch for what it was, feeling slightly relieved to have moved on from the topic of _him_ , and tried for a joke, “I’ll make sure my brother is there, even if I can’t make it.” 

He smiled a little, the mess of feelings inside him easing up a little when he saw the other respond with a shake of his head and a bright chuckle at his teasing. Jaejoong took a moment to just stare at him, the ghost of a smile still visible in the corners of his mouth once he had quieted. 

“Were you heading somewhere? I was thinking maybe we could go out for a bit and catch up...?” 

Yunho paused, not wanting to commit to the disastrous idea of spending time alone with him when he was feeling this conflicted, not to mention that knowing what Jaejoong was like before he was even old enough to do it, any friendly outing would also certainly involve copious amounts of drinking and it really would be an understatement to say Yunho wasn’t the best at tolerating his alcohol- he shuddered to think what he might do or say if he was even the slightest bit less in control of himself. 

He saw Jaejoong’s face drop at his hesitance, and he was sure the stubborn man he remembered would demand answers and force a confrontation for all his avoidance- but it seemed there were small mercies in the world after all, when Jaejoong decided to let it go, albeit a bit reluctant, “Ah you must be busy. Some other time then.” 

It surprised Yunho though it shouldn’t have, how the man had matured and changed in their years apart even if it was only natural, a small part of him inexplicably sad that they hadn’t grown _together_ like they had once planned to, after all they had been friends before anything else. A part of him wanted to grab him by the shoulders and shake him to demand answers- 

Jaejoong nodded in understanding, the smile all but vanished from his face. He looked like he was struggling to decide what to do next when he simply gave in with an audible sigh and stepped forward to embrace Yunho in a half-hug, one of his arms easily coming around Yunho’s torso, mumbling where his mouth was pressed against Yunho’s shoulder, a sweet floral scent clinging to him, and Yunho all but froze. 

“I’ve missed you. I hope we can see each other more often.” 

And just like that, Jaejoong had pulled away with a kind smile and was gone before Yunho could even grace him with anything but stunned silence. He was left standing there breathing in the scent of him, hands hanging limply by his sides, clutching a wedding invite in one, the other balled into a fist. He had the sudden urge to scream. 

He stood in place for a minute trying to figure out what it was that he was feeling and could only name a few among the dozen emotions swirling inside him; it was a strange mix of resentment, regret, sadness and longing slowly creeping in and eating away at his insides, but before he could get too carried away in his internal anguish, he snapped to attention when Jungsoo clapped a hand on his shoulder, awkwardly clearing his throat and half-nodding at the receptionist who was looking extremely uncomfortable with the whole display. Poor woman was trying hard not to look like she was intruding on the conversation- not that she could help it. 

She returned Jungsoo’s gesture with a deep bow of her own and Yunho hurried to greet her before excusing himself and rushing back to his office, making quick work of wrapping up and making his way down to the parking lot, bidding goodbye to his assistant and other employees on his way out, body on autopilot now that his thoughts were just a jumbled mess that he was trying his hardest to ignore. 

He had almost made it to his car when he noticed his brother’s familiar frame hovering close by, getting ready to get in his own car and head home too. Changmin quickly twisted around to face him, standing with a hand resting on the car door’s frame. “What did he want?” 

Yunho sighed, “Do you have to get under his skin like that? Everytime?” 

Changmin grinned at him, “Not my fault he’s so easy to mess with. Plus the jerk usually deserves it.” 

Yunho fixed him with a look, before turning away to throw his bag inside his car, shutting the door and running a hand through his hair. Changmin’s eyes never left his face for a second. 

“No need to be so rude Changdol-ah. Sooyoung noona’s getting married, he was just here to invite us.” The old nickname seemed to calm Changmin a little, who shrugged indifferently but refrained from throwing any more insults at the man in question. 

“Could’ve just sent the invite in the mail.” 

Yunho shrugged at his brother, starting to fidget with his sleeve when he could still feel the other’s calculating gaze on him. 

“Will you go?” 

“We will _both_ go, you weren’t in town for Sooyeon noona’s- it would be rude not to. You’ve basically grown up with their family.” 

Changmin hummed in thought before looking at him with interest, “You’re not planning on going alone, are you? You should bring a date with you.” 

Yunho gaped at his brother, taken aback at the suggestion. He was slow to shake his head at the suggestion that had come out of nowhere, “I’m not seeing anyone? Nor am I planning to... It’ll be fine, we can get out of there once people have seen our faces.” 

“Speak for yourself hyung, I’m not missing out on free food and alcohol. Besides, Jaejoong’s family is a riot to be around, even if I can’t say the same for him.” 

Yunho tried not to chastise his brother for forgoing honorifics, knowing the two of them had a strange relationship where it was okay to do so. Instead, he tried to focus on the subject his brother had brought up so suddenly, “Why...should I go with a date? Are you bringing someone?” 

His brother half-shrugged, “Maybe, maybe not. Don’t really have anyone in mind. But I do think you should- try and have fun hyungnim. It’ll be a nice distraction from that manchild and his antics-” 

Yunho bristled at the suggestion, “I don’t need a distraction-” 

“I’m just saying,” Changmin reiterated, slowly enunciating his words like trying not to spook a wild animal, and his patronizing tone almost had the opposite effect on Yunho, “that people usually show up to these parties with dates, it would be more fun if you had one too. Maybe that way you’ll actually have fun and stay until the end- I’m sure Jaejoong brought up your 20 second appearance at Sooyeon noona’s wedding.” 

Yunho and Changmin never really spoke to each other much about their personal lives because of how entangled every aspect of their life already was. Yet years spent growing up, working side by side and tackling his somewhat crazy family together had also definitely given them the ability to read each other extremely well without having to say much. At least Changmin, who had always been observant while Yunho tended to be blissfully oblivious to a lot that went around him, was much better at gauging Yunho’s feelings. Yunho didn’t know to what extent but he knew that somewhere along the line, Changmin had figured out that his feelings for Jaejoong had gone beyond simply platonic affection. He had witnessed Yunho pretty much become a scarily hollow shell of himself once Jaejoong had gone and had probably taken personal offense to it, always ready to badmouth the older man every chance he got, and yet somehow, Yunho would find himself wanting to defend his friend, despite it all. 

It must have been for Yunho’s sake, or it could be that the younger blamed Jaejoong for Yunho’s infamous military episode that had brought him a lot of unnecessary anguish, that Changmin still held onto some grudge against the other. But Yunho could also remember a simpler time, when his brother had been younger and loved getting doted on by Jaejoong. Of course, there were frequent and increasingly childish fights, including ones over Yunho and who he loved more, but he suspects it was because the two of them had _enjoyed_ getting on each other’s nerves and roughhousing more than anything, often resulting in bruises for them and headaches for _Yunho_. 

His brother had been careful not to bring him up after the man had left, not like this anyway, where they were all but acknowledging that his being here meant something for Yunho and how it affected him- and he was a little annoyed to think Changmin might have a point, not entirely sure if he was upto the task of seeing and avoiding the former-maybe-still subject of his affections at yet another wedding. He supposed the situation would be marginally less miserable with good company. He hated it when Changmin was right and annoyed at how often that happened. 

Yunho licked at his bottom lip in thought, “We could always just go together-” 

“Oh hell no, I’m not going to a wedding with my _brother_ for fuck’s sake.” 

“Why? What’s so bad about going with your brother?” 

“That’s embarrassing as fuck, hyungnim. Please find a date, you know it’s a good idea.” 

Changmin promptly slid into the driver’s seat with a dismissive shake of his head, slamming the door closed and shutting off the conversation effectively. 

Yunho sighed in defeat, deciding to just go home for the night and deal with this new proposition later. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, please do leave me kudos and comments!! Its the best feeling in the world to see you guys enjoying what I wrote! Find me on twitter: https://twitter.com/seokjinhot or curiouscat: https://curiouscat.qa/seokjinhot


	4. Angel to the Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yunho has a date, but his eyes are set on another all night anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It shall be noted that Kim Junsu in this chapter has a theme song and it is, in fact, his cover of Sakuranbo

Not even a week later and Yunho had found a date. 

He doesn’t know how he managed to find one on such short notice but then again, it wasn’t like he had been looking. A random late night call from his old friend Donghae had led to him joining him and a few of his friends for drinks, which had in turn led him to the only other sober person at the gathering.

“Kim Junsu, nice to meet you!”

Junsu had been Hyukjae’s childhood best friend and it was frankly surprising how their paths hadn’t crossed before, possibly because the other was always travelling for work, being a musical actor by profession. Junsu wasn’t big on drinking, and was supremely amused when Yunho told him the reason _he_ wasn't into drinking had simply been because he was the textbook definition of a lightweight drinker. The man, who he had found out was a year younger than him, had thrown his head back in a bout of adorably loud laughter and patted Yunho on his back, “It’s okay, at least you don’t pretend you can like Hyukjae’s friend here-” 

Donghae had of course been drunk after two drinks and had taken offense to that and proceeded to smack the boy’s arm, _hard_. Junsu, to Yunho’s surprise, had only laughed good-naturedly, easily including Yunho into the conversation and acting like a natural mood-maker. They had gotten along like a house on fire, Junsu’s friendly personality making it extremely easy to be comfortable around him, almost like they had known each other for years already. They danced together and the only reason Yunho hadn’t thought about taking the man home was because he had this insane urge to _protect_ him. The man was 26 for god’s sake, but Yunho couldn’t help but associate the word _pure_ with this kind stranger he had met and was determined to keep it that way.

“You know hyung, you give off such a strong reliable-older-brother vibe that I am having a hard time being attracted to you, even after that wonderful show you put on on the dance floor.” Junsu, as it turned out, was pretty much on the same page as him and they both smiled knowingly at each other, silently agreeing not to pursue anything of the sort. 

Donghae had disagreed of course, his matchmaking schemes ruined, “Pfft, you two would’ve made an extremely cute couple. And you even need a date! This was the perfect opportunity!”

Yunho had been extremely embarrassed, clamping Donghae’s mouth shut with his hand and laughing nervously, cursing his friend’s loose mouth and annoyed at his own lack of tact for telling him anything in the first place. Junsu, much to his chagrin, had caught the words and looked intrigued, politely asking about it and even after leaving out some minor details completely out of the story (read: Jaejoong), the man had somehow miraculously volunteered to go as his date.

“It’ll be fun! There’d be no pressure because we don’t actually want to date and I’d get to go to another party- I’m not in the city for too long.”

So here he was, ready to pick up Junsu from his flat in Gangnam to drive to Sooyoung’s wedding. Yunho was starting to get nervous as he drove, not sure how the night would pan out after all when Junsu, sweet, kind, _angelic_ Junsu, had revealed that he had a whole other devilish side to him. The man spent the better part of their drive telling him all sorts of humiliating stories about Hyukjae’s top dating fails to take his mind off of things while also managing not to pry too much into the reason for his nerves, and Yunho couldn’t be more grateful. 

“I only use the powers of evil to do good, hyung!” 

The remark had reminded Yunho too much of his brother and mused about what Changmin would think of his date as he finally pulled into the venue. They stepped out of the car and Junsu waited until the valet got his keys and drove away before he was pressed by his side, taking his hand and smiling at him mischievously. Yunho was starting to get a bad feeling about this-

“Yah, don’t overdo it, okay?”

Junsu scoffed at him playfully, dragging him by the hand, “I’m going to be the best not-date in the history of not-dates. You forget I literally act for a living~”

“Yeah, in musicals- the last thing we need from you is to break out into a song about how great of a date you are and scare off the Kims’ guests.”

“Pfft, if I’m going to break into a song, you bet it’s going to be about your prowess in bed, hyung.”

Junsu waggled his eyebrows and Yunho spluttered and blushed despite himself; the younger man hanging off his arm took great pleasure in the reaction, laughing loudly as they made their way inside. The Kim’s had outdone themselves planning for an outdoor garden ceremony during the nighttime, the area decorated generously with white flowers and dainty strings of fairy lights, the decoration eliciting a little noise of appreciation from his date. 

Almost immediately, Yunho caught his brother’s attention from a distance, who, much to Yunho’s annoyance, looked like he had come without a date after all. Changmin looked surprised at first when he noticed Junsu by his side, before smirking at him approvingly and subtly raised a glass of champagne in a toast (how in the world the boy had located the alcohol before the afterparty had even begun he would never know). Yunho pointedly narrowed his eyes at him before looking away and quickly greeting a few guests around him and taking a seat, pulling Junsu next to him. 

The ceremony proceeded smoothly, and with it came the dreaded arrival of Jaejoong, who was hard to miss, dutifully walking the bride down the aisle. He found himself unable to tear his eyes away, the other having dressed in a fitted black suit that clashed strikingly with the platinum blonde of his hair, neatly parted and brushed off his forehead for the occasion, a contrast to his earlier lax style. His eyes unconsciously raked over him, mouth drying at the sight of his broad shoulders and tapering waist, strong muscles easily visible through his tux and marveled at how well his body had filled out as he had grown. 

The sight of him made Yunho’s heart thump and gut clench in nervousness, having to all but wrench his eyes away from the man who eventually took a seat up at the front, pouring every ounce of concentration in looking at the couple exchanging their vows. He was determined not to pay attention and yet, every now and then, he would find his gaze shamefully wandering back to him. 

He couldn’t help but notice when Jaejoong began dabbing at his eyes, probably tearing up at the sight of another one of his sisters married and recalled how the siblings had always been close. He wondered if they had met up frequently while Jaejoong had been away, a sudden sadness filling him for his old friend’s sake.

If Junsu noticed, he didn’t say anything, only pausing to smile at Yunho kindly and casually leaning into his side in support, attention focused on the newlyweds. It was purely coincidental, but it felt like Yunho had somehow gained a dependable friend in the other, short as their time together might be. He knew the other was scheduled to leave soon for some tour.

The party began soon after and Yunho began to realize that most people had been eyeing him with interest all evening, noticing how Junsu had been initiating skinship and making him laugh. Yunho had been comfortable enough around him to naturally reciprocate. It wasn’t new knowledge that there was a chance Yunho swung both ways when it came to his partners, especially since he had all but admitted to the same in an old interview without directly saying it. Needless to say, several articles had been written about it. Yunho never refuted the claims but still worried about what it would do to his already shaky status in the business community, where his blood already made him a little bit of an outcast, though no one would ever say it.

He had been so preoccupied with his concerns about facing Jaejoong again that he had all but forgotten that this was his first formal appearance with a man as a plus one and predictably enough, it earned them quite a lot of side-eyed glances and some disapproving chatter ensued, though most people tried to keep it on the down low. 

Yunho fidgeted, trying his hardest to ignore the judgement he could feel emanating from even those that were trying hard not to appear averse but Junsu, wonderfully secure in his own skin, was doing a fabulous job of directing the flow of conversation, keeping the topics lighthearted and easily dodging more intrusive questions about the exact nature of their relationship while still managing to keep all parties charmed. It certainly helped that he was a celebrity particularly popular among the circle of pretentious, rich and old they were currently entertaining. Yunho felt like he, too, was falling under whatever magic this was and found himself gradually letting go of his worries, choosing to just enjoy the night like he had meant to. At some point, he found himself musing about what a fine but scary businessman Junsu would make with his amazing people-pleasing abilities, though judging from his nonsensical take on Choi’s remarks about the stock market (who had _still_ been just as taken with the man by his side), he wasn’t betting on him being good at the actual “business” part of things.

In a sense, Junsu was the complete opposite of Changmin.

Yunho found himself stifling a chuckle at his own train of thought, eyes naturally looking for his brother’s familiar face in the crowd and predictably enough, he found him in a chair by the open bar, perfect posture and wine glass in hand, while someone who looked an awful lot like the younger Cho sibling was slumped next to him, laughing loudly at his brother’s pinched expression. 

His gaze trailed off when not far away from them, he found another familiar face; Jaejoong was politely smiling at a group of old women as they chattered on, a chastising look on their faces and Yunho grimaced in sympathy- he had a good idea what the conversation was about but didn’t find it in himself to go and rescue the man, though he easily could have. He couldn’t help but let his eyes wander yet again now that the other was closer, pausing at the sight of the first couple of buttons on his shirt that had been left undone, allowing a peak at a sliver of his pale skin, the stark contrast with the black of his clothes creating a sight so appealing that he had to remind himself to breathe, mind reeling at the realization that even if there was a small chance he might have emotionally gotten over him, there were absolutely none when it came to his attraction to the other, which only seemed to have grown with time.

Yunho startled when Jaejoong spotted him looking, and immediately clammed up and looked away, feeling shame fill him to have been caught blatantly checking out the other. He could feel adrenaline beginning to pump with the urge to look back when he felt the other’s gaze on him but determinedly kept his eyes somewhere near Choi’s bald head and tried to laugh at whatever perfectly timed comment Junsu had made that was making everyone crack up.

He mentally willed that Jaejoong wouldn’t approach him, not knowing how to act around the other and _especially_ not when all he could think of was trailing his hand down his freaking chest. Only after a painfully slow ten minutes had passed, Yunho dared to steal a glance, deflating in relief when it seemed the other had finally given up trying to catch his attention. Junsu shot him a curious look but Yunho only subtly shook his head, motioning to a passing waiter and grabbing a flute of champagne before chiming into the conversation again with renewed fervor. He only drank a little (just a little, though he could feel his face getting warmer already-) but he kept at it, trying to distract himself from just how much of a coward he was being with the way he was handling this. 

Maybe it was the alcohol, but as the night carried on, Yunho found himself mingling a lot easier and worrying a lot less once Jaejoong disappeared from his periphery. He had finally gone through his list of older folks in attendance that had to be greeted first and was finally getting to introduce Junsu to his various “friends”. The man, whose charms he had found were not limited to older people, had especially hit it off with some of them and they were all now busy trying to egg Yunho on to dance a little. He worried for his reputation, never one to throw caution to the wind when it came to his public image, but once the party got a little wilder (older company having moved indoors), he felt the urge to be a little reckless, annoyed at how stressed he had been just for attending a party- the exact opposite of what parties were meant for- and allowed himself to be physically dragged onto the dance floor by his much more inebriated friends with a startled guffaw, Junsu in tow.

They really only stayed for a song or two, but Yunho couldn’t remember the last time he had felt this free at a formal gathering of the people he knew from the stiff world of suits. He found himself leaning in and whispering a sincere thanks to Junsu, who pulled away looking extremely pleased with himself and proceeded to pull him right back in for a hug he didn’t know he needed.

“No need to thank me at all, this is really fun!”

Junsu laughed right in his ear, and Yunho found himself laughing right alongside, the two of them holding on to each other and swaying along to the music, only a few feet away from the newly married couple who were making out much to the amusement and cheers of many, lost to that one brief moment of pure happiness; they promptly chimed in.

He was surprised to find that he was genuinely having a good time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part one of a double update!!!


	5. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaejoong and Changmin...reconnect. lol.

Jaejoong was not having a good time.

Lately, he has been so _lonely_ and as if watching another one of his sisters married and lovingly staring into the eyes of her partner all evening wasn’t enough, he has had to field all sorts of questions from their guests about _his_ plans to marry. It didn’t exactly surprise him, having expected now that they had gotten over the news of his return and his plans to expand his businesses locally at his last public appearance (another wedding), every single person at the party and their mother were now hyper aware of the fact that Jaejoong was just coming out of a very long relationship, for his asshole of an ex had just announced his wedding and surprise surprise, he clearly wasn’t marrying Jaejoong. 

After all, his very public decision to abandon the family business and escape with _him_ was very well known (and disapproved of) among the community, Jaejoong’s recent decision to settle back in Korea (the last time being about until a year ago when he had enlisted but had not wanted to stay afterwards, very much still in love with a person who wasn’t here, only to return to an empty house and a failed relationship-), only adding fuel to the fire. The aunties he was currently entertaining weren’t exactly subtle about their prodding and backhanded remarks of it being time to find and settle with a nice _girl_ , and finally take on his responsibilities.

He suppressed the urge to roll his eyes and reached out for another flute of champagne from a passing waiter, accidentally catching Yunho’s eyes from a little bit away, the man looking strikingly handsome in a dark pinstripe suit even from a distance. His own widened in recognition, but he saw the other freeze and turn the other way with barely an acknowledgement that he had seen him. Jaejoong figured there was a chance he hadn’t and kept trying, bobbing his head this way and that much to the old ladies’ annoyance, but the other remained focused on his own conversation. 

With a sigh, Jaejoong gave up, pasting the fakest smile he could manage before finally asking to be excused from the group. He had lost all interest in what was being said to him, for a few minutes now, and ever since Yunho had looked away, he had been struggling to maintain the guise of a politely blank face. He finally breathed a sigh of relief when the women nodded and dismissed him, quickly stalking off towards the open bar, positive he had just given them some more to talk about but frankly quite done, upset as his mother might be at his manners. It had been a while since he had to worry so much about socially acceptable behavior here in Korea (similar as it was to Japan and he spent quite a lot of time there) but found that the etiquette lessons he had taken as a child were still somewhat ingrained in him and had been quick to snap back into polite-Asian-son mode. It was frustrating to say the least, knowing that even if he was perfectly well-mannered in his conduct, they would still find something to talk about- they never liked him much anyway- and he just didn’t want to bother with the act anymore.

The more he thought about what they had been saying, the more furious he got, realizing how much they cared that Jaejoong was the only male out of a total of nine siblings, and even though Jinhee noona was the one leading the family business and doing it _well_ , it had always been a notoriously difficult pill to swallow for most folks around them, always oh so hypocritical with their _“progressive”_ ideals that were meant for the world to see but not tolerated for their own. They expected him to take over the family business eventually, to produce an heir in their bloodline, even though he’d all but made it clear that that wouldn’t be happening, no thank you. 

His mouth twisted sourly as he finished off his drink, disappointed that the conservative society that had chased him away, the same one he belonged and had returned to, only seemed to have changed outwardly but not much on the inside. They still had the same misogynistic ideals buried in their head where they absolutely refused to acknowledge Jinhee’s capability, frowned upon Jaejoong’s career and _“lifestyle”_ (gay gay gayer than gay, he said it once he’ll say it again)- it wasn’t even like Jaejoong didn’t have anything going for him- he owned a successful chain of restaurants in Japan and was also dabbling in the cosmetic and fashion industry and was actually doing really well for himself. He was beginning to sulk at the blatant disregard for his work and decided he needed another drink. He had been pleasantly tipsy all evening, pacing himself efficiently even though he had a better alcohol capacity than most people, but he suddenly felt like throwing all that out of the window and getting plastered.

That’s when he noticed Changmin, dressed for the occasion and happily indulging in a glass of red by himself. Jaejoong made up his mind to go and bother the younger, noticing his line of sight while making his way and spotting Yunho at the other end. He paused a little, noticing the man that was currently all over his childhood friend laugh loudly at something that made Yunho crack a blinding smile too. 

Maybe it was all their years spent apart, but it was like he was just noticing how attractive his once best friend really had gotten- not that he hadn’t always had a charm about him. But no, the charm the snaggle-toothed, lanky teenager from Gwangju had carried had been entirely different from the man that stood before him today- the Jung Yunho today exuded quiet confidence and effortless authority, tall and sharply dressed in a dark suit that did _everything_ for him, dark hair neatly brushed back so it showed off more of his forehead, sharp eyes bright under the decorative lights and lips twisted into a devastating smile. 

If they had been strangers, Jaejoong was almost willing to bet with certainty that he would have tried going home with him that night.

He chuckled to himself at the absurdity of the thought, especially in this reality where the two of them had known each other for _years_ and gone without speaking a word to each other for the majority of it. It would be lucky if the other even looked his way in this reality, and that was not even in the take-him-home kind of way. He would be lucky if the other even just talked to him for a bit, for he had tried so hard to get his attention and been mercilessly ignored. Clearly, Yunho had been so occupied with this man that he hadn’t had a chance to even greet him properly. 

He found he was a little annoyed, especially after he had made some serious effort and personally invited the other only to be completely ignored in favor of- of- he realized he didn’t even know who this man was or how he knew Yunho, suddenly upset at it all for missing years of his friend’s life. He shook his head and quietly got back to his initial task and approached Changmin, popping up right next to his ear, a little peeved he had to get on his toes to do so, now, “What are you staring at?”

“Jesus fuckin- _Jaejoong!_ ” 

He whirled around, eyes wide and hands faltering to keep from spilling his wine. Jaejoong easily stepped back, avoiding getting splashed on and simply grinned at him, amused and preparing to channel his most insufferable self- revenge for their last meeting of course. 

“Invest in a bell around your neck, would you?!” The younger spat out, eyes beginning to take on a dangerous glint.

“Hmm, I don’t know if I’m into that. I always knew you might secretly be super kinky--”

Changmin immediately spluttered , “Yah!”

“It’s hyung to you, brat!” Jaejoong feigned a punch and Changmin flinched away despite himself, the sharp lines of his jaw giving way to a flash of the younger wide-eyed Changmin which made the older grin even harder.

“ _Yah!_ Mind your behavior- these are your guests!”

“Exactly! It’s my party- I do what I want” Jaejoong stuck his tongue out before turning away to order a drink of his own (“the strongest you have, please! And keep ‘em coming”), quickly directing his attention back to the still disgruntled looking Changmin, determined to have an actual conversation with the other, despite the cold shoulder he was being subjected to. “Now, what were you staring at?”

“Ass.” Changmin deadpanned.

“Ass- _ass?!_ Your brother’s? His date’s? There’s so much wrong with any of that-”

Changmin let out an exasperated sigh, seeming to finally have accepted the older wasn’t going away anytime soon and simply sipped his wine, looking back over, “Not my brother’s, you weirdo. Just, the other guy. I just happened to notice-”

“You’re way too young to be staring at asses, let alone your brother’s boyfriend’s!”

“I’m twenty five, old man, besides I don’t know if- ”

“Still too young!”

“Weren't you just insisting I was so kinky?!” Changmin all but shrieked, the tail end of his sentence coming out involuntarily _loud_. Everything around them went quiet for one embarrassingly long second before they heard someone hiss at them from a distance.

Changmin immediately clamped his mouth shut, ears turning an alarming shade of red incredibly fast and Jaejoong couldn’t help but snicker at the whole display.

“And now I’m not the only one who thinks so.” An amused giggle burst out of Jaejoong, but he chose to distract Changmin before the other could say anything (or potentially throw his drink at Jaejoong’s face). 

He casually nudged the taller’s shoulder again and jerked his head to point in Yunho’s general direction, dying to sate his curiosity,

“How long have they been together? I didn’t even know, Yunho, you know…”

Changmin snapped at him, “Likes men? Is that a problem?”

“Please. I’m the last person to have a problem with that and you know it.”

“Ah yes, of course. How can I forget you eloping with the love of your life- how’s the Park boy doing anyways?”

Almost on cue, Jaejoong’s expression darkened, causing Changmin to chuckle humorlessly and comment, “Figured you would drive him away.”

Jaejoong felt like he’d been slapped, upset that Changmin actually managed to hurt him with a stupid remark designed to get under his skin. 

To his credit, Changmin realized what he’d done immediately after the words were out of his mouth, eyes shifting guiltily to glance at the still glaring Jaejoong.

“I didn’t- I mean, I don’t-” 

It was kind of adorable how the six feet two man suddenly looked extremely small, retreating into himself and shuffling his feet nervously, _hovering_.

Jaejoong sighed, deciding to put the other out of his misery and smacked his arm for effect, showing him rather than saying it in words that he was forgiven, “Asshole. It’s alright I guess, it’s been awhile.” He quickly thanked the bartender as he grabbed his dry martini and took a big sip. He found this the closest to a civil conversation the two of them have had since his return and found that he liked the peace, just as much as the loving abuse that had been the basis of their relationship since _forever_.

When he looked back at Changmin, the other still had a troubled expression and he figured now would be a great time to have his questions answered while the other was wallowing in his guilt, quickly drawing Changmin’s attention back to the couple they had been discussing earlier.

“ _Now_ , care to tell me about the man that’s been hogging Yunho all evening?”

Changmin was surprised enough that he dropped his constipated look and Jaejoong was more than glad, “You mean to tell me you don’t know who that is? Kim Junsu, the award-winning musical actor?”

He wasn’t glaring either, this really was progress.

Jaejoong’s eyes that had been focussed on Changmin, slowly moved back to this Junsu guy in interest before finally settling on Yunho, who looked like he was being harassed by his many new friends whose names Jaejoong just hadn’t bothered to memorise yet. Yunho let out a loud laugh and he himself unconsciously smiled along with him, happy to finally see the other letting loose and having fun among people he had always had such a hard time fitting in with, though he was more than a little bitter after all the avoidance, curt greetings and stiff smiles he’d had to face in the past few weeks. Why did these brothers have to be so damn difficult? 

He downed his drink easily, humming in interest as he reached out for another, letting Changmin know he’s still paying attention, “Kim Junsu?”

“Yep, he’s basically Korea’s cultural ambassador. I’ve seen one of the musicals he’s starred in-”

“Musicals?”

“Yeah, I didn’t even know Yunho hyung knew him at all but they look like they’re close-”

“Close?”

“Oh for fuck’s sake, stop that!”

“Stop what?” Jaejoong looked back at the younger, whose mouth was now scrunched up in annoyance.

“That! You’re not even listening to what I’m saying, only repeating everything I say like a moron.”

“Yah Shim Changmin, better watch your mouth. I’m still two years older!” 

Jaejoong scolded with a playful tone, both of them aware that he’s never been one to care about age and honorifics. Predictably, Changmin scoffed at him.

“And I’m still two inches taller- or is it five now?” 

Jaejoong snorted at the petty remark, mouth fighting a losing battle against a smile that was threatening to take over, suddenly reminded of all the ways the other was still so familiar to him; Changmin was still the same dongsaeng he’d doted over, spoiled and teased until the shy little thing had finally become comfortable enough to tease him right back, never holding back and giving as good as he gets, albeit taller and sharper and looking like he could destroy Jaejoong in a fight, though he had predicted that even all those years ago. He felt happiness bloom inside, warm and bright.

Surprisingly, Changmin cracked a begrudging smile right back at him that slowly made way for a brighter, genuine smile that he tried and failed to hide, eyes scrunched up into mismatched crescents. Jaejoong didn’t bother fighting the delighted laughter that bubbled out of him, pulling the younger into a hug. Changmin, all things considered, went easily- it was about time.

Really, it would have made for a heartwarming moment if Jaejoong had let it, but before Changmin could even react to return the gesture, he had shifted them around expertly and trapped the taller man into a headlock. 

Changmin squawked under him, struggling to get out of his hold, “-the fuck?!”

“Shh I missed you, you stupid child.” 

Changmin managed to get away with a little flailing, and Jaejoong pulled away, promptly punched his arm- _hard_ , “I'm glad we can do this again instead of just yelling at each other!” He said cheerfully, giddy to have some semblance of normalcy in his life, Seoul not feeling as unfamiliar as it had ever since he’d been back.

Changmin grunted at him, rubbing his sore arm. He took a quick look to check who might have seen the spectacle and immediately straightened his clothes and posture, “We’re in public! To think I thought you would’ve grown up in our time apart, still so immature-”

Jaejoong waved him off, “Please. You love it.”

“I really don’t”

“What’s that you’re drinking- let hyung taste.”

“NO! Absolutely not, you have your own-HEY!”

“Hmm, not bad.”

“That was my fucking wine.”

Once Jaejoong was done draining Changmin’s glass and quickly following it up with his own drink, all the while looking right into Changmin’s eyes who looked back at him in horrified wonder, he finally felt like he had enough courage to blurt out what he’d been thinking about on and off all evening-

“Changmin-ah, I’m going to need your help.” 

“Well, you’re not getting any.”

“I’m being serious.” 

Changmin looked at him, expression carefully blank but still betraying his curiosity and Jaejoong decided to finally just bite the bullet, “Yunho... I don’t know what it is I did but he doesn’t want to talk to me- he’s not wanted to, for years.”

There it was.

He heard Changmin clench his teeth audibly, and Jaejoong looked up, unsurprised at the sudden and overwhelmingly obvious hostility that took over the younger's entire demeanor. It reminded him of when he had first run into Changmin after returning, the younger having been shocked at first to find him bumbling around in Shim Corp’s waiting lobby before he had turned absolutely livid, _demanding_ he leave with a cold, cold look so different from the innocent boy-ish face of his memories. Jaejoong hadn’t exactly kept his cool either, baffled at the intense reaction and had instead very loudly demanded to know why and stubbornly stood his ground. 

Nothing much had come out of it really, the two of them had called each other increasingly childish names before Jaejoong had begrudgingly left the premises when no Yunho had come to stop the altercation. And their second meeting had been the last one, and it hadn’t exactly been any better, though Changmin had dealt with him a lot more calmly, still snippy and cold, and proceeded to successfully get under _his skin_ \- Jaejoong couldn’t imagine why the younger had reacted as strongly as he had, expecting to be faced with an awkward reunion at worst, nothing like what had actually transpired-

He had a feeling he was finally about to get some answers.

“Really? You don’t know what you did?” 

The man eyed him with thinly veiled accusation and contempt in his eyes and Jaejoong was already starting to get nervous about what the other was about to say to him, not sure if he would escape this confrontation emotionally unscathed. Changmin looked away, mouth pressed into a terrifying thin line and Jaejoong eyed the stubborn set of the younger’s jaw wearily; the other kept his eyes fixed at a distant spot on the horizon, suddenly determined not to look at him.

“Let me start with the fact that my hyung has only ever had a few people on his side, and even out of them, he depended on you the most. Imagine being him when his so-called best friend abandoned him without a word.”

Jaejoong gulped, mouth suddenly dry, a familiar sticky feeling slowly trickling into his lungs, making it hard to breathe right, “That’s not fair. Changmin-ah, things were... hard- I had to go as soon as I could or I wouldn’t be able to- I called him. I know it took some time but I called to explain but he didn’t- I called him so many times afterwards. But even on the rare occasion when he answered he never said more than two words to me.”

Changmin eyed him with a strange look in his eyes, watching him stumble through the words that had never been easy for him to say, the crippling guilt of leaving behind people even more important than family always rendering him helpless even when he knew he had his reasons. Changmin’s unimpressed stare felt _unfair_ , stirring a familiar anger in him, feeling defensive and cornered.

“You don’t just treat people like an afterthought and expect them to appreciate you for it.”

_Ouch._

Jaejoong grabbed another drink off the counter and downed it in one go, hissing at the burn before facing Changmin again, voice raising in frustration, “I made a choice, one that I stand by, mind you, and don’t regret in the slightest. But it’s been seven years since...We’ve spent seven years apart and I’ve _missed_ my best friend. I’ve missed _you_ and my sisters and mom and being _home_. I’m not expecting you all to suddenly fit me in your lives, I’m just, asking for a chance to reconnect...I know things have changed, I know it sucks the way things worked out but none of that can be changed- I called, but he never gave me a chance. Yet here I still am, swallowing my pride and asking for a chance to just catch up with him. Is it that bad? Am I that bad of a person that I don’t deserve a chance?”

“You’re being selfish.”

“Excuse me?”

“You’re _selfish_. You are, always have been. It’s always about what _you_ want, isn’t it? You made a choice to look out for you and you wanted everyone else to just deal with it.” 

Jaejoong was positively fuming, and he all but spit his words out, alcohol finally starting to kick in, “Is it bad that I was looking out for myself then?!”

Changmin was infuriatingly calm when he answered, looking straight into his eyes, “No. Not at all. Maybe you did the right thing by you, that still doesn’t mean others weren’t hurt by it.”

Jaejoong opened his mouth to angrily demand what he should’ve done then if all his options had been wrong but Changmin shut him up with a look, “Yunho hyung didn’t deal with it Jaejoong... he didn’t deal with it well at all. So now that you’re suddenly here and want to reconnect because you’ve missed him, remember to consider what he wants and needs, not just you- you’re not the only one who called, you know.”

Jaejoong stopped the angry tirade that was about to spill out of his mouth, taken aback.

Changmin quietly sipped his wine, gaze unrelenting, “Have you considered that hyung might be better off without you trying to correct past wrongs? Maybe take his avoidance of you for what it is and leave him alone? He might be looking out for himself too- even if it has been years.”

Jaejoong gaped at the taller man, gripped by a sudden realisation, not knowing if he should scream and pull his hair out or cry, his eyes feeling wetter by the minute. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration, effectively destroying all of Jinhee noona’s stylist’s hour-long efforts. He knew he had fucked things up with Yunho when he left but hearing Changmin phrase things the way he had felt like a knife through the chest- he had never meant to hurt anyone, least of all Yunho. 

He had himself been devastated with the way he had to leave as suddenly as he had, and knowing it was because of him they were even faced with this situation, but his whole life had been in tatters and he had needed the time to rebuild it, rebuild _himself_ from scratch, and that too away from everything he knew and loved. A single word from Yunho and he would have caved in and given up on himself and this new life, and so he had painfully ignored all attempts the other had made to reach him in those first couple of months, convinced his friend would have been calling not to offer him the comfort he had come to expect from the other and desperately craved, but to tell him that he was angry and disappointed and everything else that would _break_ Jaejoong.

It had taken him long, almost too long to try and call the other, but once he had mustered the courage, he had stubbornly kept calling the other to clear things up. It was his responsibility to fix what he had broken, but he had not been afforded the chance to do so for he had found out that the other had enlisted in the military not soon after he had left. Afterwards, he had still remembered to call or text, but life had always gotten in the way and Jaejoong had gotten too caught up and even when he had gotten through, Yunho had never said more than two words to him. He knew it had been a big deal to both of them, he _knew_ Yunho would’ve struggled just as much as he had. And he had wanted to be there for him, he really had. 

But after years and years of distance and trying to cross it- he had never gotten a single sign that other might still care about him. He had been upset at the cold shoulder, feeling more and more like a bothersome inconvenience than anything and eventually stopped trying. He had slowly moved on, albeit with regrets, figured maybe time had healed whatever wounds he had left when he couldn’t reach the other, and that Yunho probably had just forgotten and moved on too, never having fathomed that Yunho could still _care_ all these years later and still be stubborn...or _hurt_ enough to refuse to talk about it. 

Maybe Changmin was right and he really was the sickest, most selfish asshat in the universe who didn’t know how to look past his own perspective and emotions. He should’ve known Yunho would care. He was always the person who would care so deeply- he hated himself for ever stopping trying to reach him, for not trying harder, for sauntering back into his life expecting him to have been fine.

Jaejoong was quiet when he spoke next, hating how his voice came out shaky and thick with emotion, “So you think it’s a bad idea to resolve whatever is hurting him then? Leave him as is?”

Changmin startled in his seat, looking at Jaejoong with wide eyes, uncomfortable for the first time throughout the conversation that had all but put Jaejoong through an emotional grinder, “That’s...not my call to make. But all I’m saying is you can’t guarantee he won’t be left even more hurt and I won’t be playing any role in enabling that.”

Jaejoong whipped his head around under the guise of ordering more drinks, quickly catching the tear that was threatening to drop and took a deep breath. The bartender complied and he drank the first one in all at once again.

Changmin lightly touched his arm, speaking softly to him as one would to an upset child, “Hey, slow down.”

Jaejoong kept his eyes trained away from him, resolutely downing another one right after, wincing at the burn. He saw Changmin motion to the bartender to cut him off.

“Look, I didn’t know you would be this upset- I’m just trying to look out for him-”

“I know, I know Changmin-ah. I’m glad you are...do whatever you have to do to protect him, even if it’s from me- I’m s’posed to be his friend. Or _was_ \- I was-” He took a shuddering breath, letting out a wet laugh and a quiet apology; Changmin shuffled around awkwardly before offering him a napkin seemingly out of nowhere. 

Jaejoong accepted with a mumbled thanks, proceeding to blow his nose softly, while the other stayed quiet, uncomprehending of the sudden outburst. He tried to speak when he’d calmed down enough, feeling the alcohol finally taking hold of him as he struggled to sluggishly put together his words to try and explain himself,

“I just...I never thought about it that way. I thought...I thought I was the only one who even...that he just doesn’t care enough to see me now.”

Changmin’s eyes bulged out comically, expression absolutely flabbergasted before settling for an exasperated scoff, “You’re an idiot.”

“Yah-”

“You’re an idiot if you believed that for a second, give him some credit! He-” 

Whatever Changmin was about to say got cut off by loud murmurs breaking out around them, curious gazes landing on where people had started transforming the stage designed for the first dance into a club-like scene. The newlyweds were going crazy in the center of it all, making out in an absolutely disgusting display of affection and Jaejoong grimaced- that was his sister; a quick look around showed that the older guests had migrated inside, leaving the crowd of youngsters to do whatever they pleased. 

He noticed quite a lot of familiar faces in the crowd, letting out a startled laugh when he saw _Yunho_ of all people having a grand old time twirling Kim Junsu on the dance floor with the brightest smile he had seen him sport ever since he’d come back, warmth flooding his heart, an overwhelming fondness for his friend settling in. Changmin was quick to follow his gaze, curious as to what had made him laugh.

_“...What the fuck?!”_

Clearly, Changmin didn’t feel the love.

“Oh, he looks like he’s enjoying himself-”

“This isn’t happening, oh he’s so going to regret this-- are you...are you alright?”

He was starting to lean against the taller, knees feeling a little weak and Changmin immediately put an arm around him for support.

“He looks _happy._ ” Jaejoong’s voice cracked on the last word, fresh tears rapidly filling his eyes.

“...Oh for fuck’s sake- He’s okay! Just stop crying, he’s fine! I swear to- what are you, fucking menopausal?!”

Jaejoong laughed at the remark, the tears coming out even faster and even to his own ears he sounded hysterical. Changmin all but threw a fresh wad of napkins at him, properly panicking at how to handle a suddenly _sobbing_ Jaejoong when people around them started looking their way. The older man ended up shoving his face against Changmin’s chest, trying to muffle his cries while Changmin stood there, frozen.

Jaejoong finally pulled away after an agonizingly long few minutes, eyelashes wet and eyes probably rimmed red, having ruined Changmin’s dress shirt but at least, no longer having quite as bad a meltdown. He noticed how close Changmin’s face was to his, having to strain his neck to look up into his eyes and then the focus of his addled brain quickly shifted, distracted by his ears that were blushing a bright red. Without a second thought, Jaejoong reached out to pinch one of them, mumbling and slurring and-

“B-but he’s not okay...Yunho is happy now but I’ve made him so sad and you are all grown up-”

“You’re rambling. And drunk. You- I _told_ you to slow down-”

“You were a baby when hyung first met you ‘minmin-ah, like an actual screaming, pooping-”

“Oh for fuck’s sake- I’m taking you home!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOF. knocked that out of the way hahahhah- can you guys see where i'm going with this..? SOULFIGHTERS RISE BWAHAHA. Anyways~ as always, leave me beautiful comments my favorite people ;)


	6. Temptation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaejoong *charms* Changmin into helping him (unintentionally)

Changmin woke up to a growling stomach, the smell of food floating around him and immediately startled, quickly sitting up in bed. He racked his brain trying to remember if his housekeeper was supposed to come in that day, quickly patting himself down to check if he had his clothes on to avoid another less-than-pleasant run in with her while he was buck naked (a story for another time, really). He noted he had sweatpants on but no shirt, remembering changing into his usual sleep ‘outfit’ before passing out the night before, and decided it wasn’t anything she would be too traumatized by, before stumbling out of his bedroom and into the living room, quick steps leading him to the kitchen. 

He startled to a stop, slowly processing the picture in front of him. 

Kim Jaejoong, in his ruffled outfit from the night before (minus his suit jacket) and the worst case of bedhead Changmin had seen in a while, was happily whistling as he bustled around the kitchen. 

Right.

Changmin sighed.

“You’re still here.”

Jaejoong jumped a little, whipping his head around and spotting the younger. Changmin only had a second to take in his sleep-swollen eyes and the rumpled state of his poor shirt before the older’s face split into a blinding grin, eyes obviously roaming all over Changmin’s toned stomach, “Wha- Changmin-ah! Looks like someone has been hitting the gym- _nice!_ ” 

Jajeoong even whistled for effect, and Changmin’s hands twitched by his sides, fighting the urge to cover his chest, ears warming up at an alarming rate.

“What are you doing in my kitchen?”

“Making haejangguk… wanna taste? No? Okay.” 

The older retracted the spoon as quickly as he had extended it, before blowing on it and quickly putting it in his own mouth, lips wrapping around the spoon and eyes widening just a fraction as he registered the taste of it, humming to himself in thought. Changmin felt the need to look away and gather his thoughts, more than a little disoriented at the situation he had suddenly found himself in, with the person he had sworn he would hate for the rest of his life happily making breakfast in _his_ kitchen while managing to look effortlessly at home while at it. Jaejoong easily ignored the gaping Changmin and went back to the pot of simmering broth that was admittedly emitting a wonderful smell, making it even harder to focus.

Up until the night before, he would have scoffed at anyone who would even suggest he would let Jaejoong into his house.

He sighed again as he thought back to the events of the night before that had led to this absurd reality, remembering how he had dragged around the hysterical older man who was progressively getting less and less coordinated by the minute trying to find Yunho in the crowd. Changmin had kept a firm grip on him from keeping _that_ particular disaster from happening and looked for all of his noonas one by one, planning to dump him on them and leave, but not any of them had done anything but laugh and point them in another’s direction, too drunk and happy to care too much, “Sorry Min-ah, he’s your problem for the night!”

He had thrown long-suffering glances at his brother, who, oblivious to his misery, was having the time of his life and Changmin steeled himself with the thought that he was doing this so Yunho’s night wouldn’t be ruined, which was very likely to happen if he were to leave Jaejoong to his antics. So he had gone back to his painful task, and when Sookjin noona had finally told him Jaejoong’s address- he really did like her best- he had sucked up his poor fate and decided to abandon the party, driving the drunk man to his apartment all the way in Seongsu-dong, only to be refused the passcode.

“Changminnie~ hyung doesn’t want to go home.” Jaejoong had mumbled quietly, dazed eyes focussed somewhere to the left of Changmin’s face and Changmin, perplexed at the whole situation, had tried everything: shouting, demanding, _pleading_ \- but Jaejoong hadn't let up and had quietly stayed pressed against him, head lolling this way and that, before he had finally passed out right there in the hallway. Changmin had been too busy swearing up at the heavens to catch him in time, the older’s head and shoulder bumping against the door with an ominously loud thunk that resonated in the quiet of the night and the man had let out a pitiful little ‘ah’. Changmin's heart had stopped for a beat before he had slowly set the other down and against the hallway wall, feeling around his scalp for a bump that luckily wasn't there before carefully pulling his shirt a little to the side to inspect his shoulder, softly cursing when he found a bruise slowly starting to form against the startlingly pale skin. 

A splatter of ink had caught his eyes and he had started, suddenly reminded of how Jaejoong had always said he wanted to get a ton of tattoos and piercings as a teenager, but had never been allowed to get any. His fingers itched with the urge to push the collar of his shirt a little further back, curious about what it was. It really would only take a little bit to make out the shape but he snapped himself out of it, a little unsettled he would even consider doing something like that. He quickly fixed the other’s clothes, heaving him up and carefully carrying him back to the car and to his place. 

The drive back had cleared his mind a little, determined to just be done with this whole situation and no longer feeling quite as unsettled about earlier, blaming it on a momentary lack in judgement, but kept replaying his conversations with the other from the party. He kept a close eye on the unconscious man slumped in his passenger seat from the corner of his eyes, feeling more bothered than he ever expected to be at Jaejoong’s misery, especially when the other kept squirming and letting out pained sighs from the discomfort of his injured shoulder. He tried reasoning with himself that it was Jaejoong’s fault he had drunk himself into such a state in the first place and as soon as he had arrived, he had unceremoniously dumped him on his couch, which he deemed was more than comfortable for ungrateful unexpected guests, ready to just be done with the night. 

He had immediately felt terrible when the other moaned in pain and ended up helping Jaejoong out of his shoes and jacket before covering him up with a throw and pressing a bag of frozen peas against his hurt shoulder and checked his scalp once again. He had stood there for a moment, bent over the older’s sleeping form with a hand in his hair, watching Jaejoong’s face scrunched up in discomfort before it had slowly settled into a peacefully blank expression and had finally breathed a sigh of relief, pulling away quietly and retreating into his own bedroom.

With Jaejoong’s back to him now, he wearily scanned his movements, watching for any dizziness or pain from the shoulder but the other seemed to be moving fine- “How’s your head?”

“Just a good 'ol hangover- nothing too bad. Why?”

“No reason.”

“Wow. Changmin-ah, I’m surprised you turned out to be such a gentleman”

And Changmin decided he could go back to feeling zero remorse for him, biting back “Why haven’t you left yet?”

“Because I was hungry and figured I could make you food! You know, for last night, I don’t usually get that drunk- thanks for leaving me on the couch by the way, especially since I see you have a wonderfully set up guest bedroom right down the hall over there” Jaejoong smirked back at him, still focused on his hangover soup, voice sarcastic but playful.

“I should’ve just left you in the streets- _who told you you could snoop around the house?!_ ”

Jaejoong snorted, leaning backwards to turn the stove off, before drying his hands with a towel, finally twisting to face him properly, “If I hadn’t gone looking I wouldn’t even know whose house I was in- there’s no pictures of you... or anyone for that matter! Why do you live like this Min-ah, you’re making hyung sad.”

Changmin’s face warmed up despite himself, feeling strange about the idea of Jaejoong walking in on him sleeping, half naked and fully vulnerable- not to mention that he was known to have some interesting sleep habits when he was younger that resurfaced from time to time. What if he had sleep-talked? The asshole would never let him live it down.

“Sad? You’re calling my 2 billion won house sad? Just because I don’t like having pictures of my face lying around?”

“Well it doesn’t have to be your face-- you could have pictures of friends and family, you know, like a regular person.”

“Why does it matter? Don’t you have to be somewhere?”

“Hmm, not really. I need to have breakfast of course. Soup?” Changmin exhaled to calm himself down but the older was having none of it, easily serving two portions of the _haejangguk_ he had prepared and two bowls of rice, happily settling at the kitchen counter and starting to dig in. After a minute of internal debate, Changmin gave in, not wanting to pass up on perfectly well-made breakfast just because of the person who made it, and definitely not because the older man kept glancing at him with hopeful eyes in between each mouthful, eagerly waiting for him to taste. Besides, he deserved this after the troubles the other had put him through the night before.

He slowly sat down and pulled the dishes close to him, carefully avoiding the older’s knowing stare. He hesitantly dug in and was immediately overwhelmed at how good it was, eyes blowing wide open despite himself. A slow smile started to unfurl on Jaejoong’s face, “It’s good, right?”

Reluctantly, Changmin grunted in assent, already going for his next mouthful and Jaejoong chuckled at him. 

“Serving in the army really teaches you a thing or two. I’ve gotten really good- “ His voice got twice as loud when Changmin threw him a withering look at the blatant boasting, “- _really!_ I’m releasing a cookbook soon- look it up!”

“Tch, why would anyone need that?” Changmin scoffed, even though he knew firsthand that Jaejoong had always been a pretty decent cook. He had definitely gotten better with the years. Still, releasing a cookbook sounded exactly like the kind of unnecessary and cocky thing Jaejoong would do.

“Yah! I will have you know I’m extremely famous on instagram for my recipes!”

Changmin simply snorted. 

“Really! The dongsaengs I met in the military would beg for me to take on the cooking duties- you should count yourself lucky I’m cooking for you for free.”

“Free? This is just rent for the night I let you spend tainting the purity of my home. Look at how messy it’s gotten just from having you over-” Changmin pointedly glared at the kitchen before jerking his head back to where the other’s jacket was lying on the floor, right next to the bag of peas, now sopping wet in the middle of a sad little puddle.

Jaejoong followed his gaze with pretend offense etched onto his face, but it soon dissolved into an embarrassed laugh, earlier dramatics forgotten, “Alright, I’ll give you that. Though, it’s not _that_ bad- this place is still pretty neat... You were always cleaner than most teenagers but this is impressive Min-ah.”

Changmin slurped his soup, throwing a careless glance at Jaejoong and went back to his bowl of food, letting the other look around and marvel at the interior of his apartment, “Oh well, the military teaches you a thing or two- don’t most men learn to be more organized after enlisting?”

Jaejoong looked up at him with wide eyes, “You’ve enlisted already?”

Changmin paused with a spoonful hovering just before his mouth, and looked up at the still staring Jaejoong and cleared his throat, “Same time as Yunho hyung.”

If Jaejoong’s eyes could get wider they did, before he saw something akin to a mix of awe and pity shine through them, “Changmin-ah...that was almost seven years ago, you were just eighteen.”

Changmin swallowed his mouthful, “Yeah.” He looked up at the older in curiosity, wondering how he knew when Yunho had gone and but decided against voicing the question, not wanting to encourage any conversation about his brother with Jaejoong, especially after the mess that was last night. 

Changmin hadn’t _wanted_ to enlist that young, but as soon as Yunho had impulsively gone and enlisted, something which Changmin was almost certain had something to do with Jaejoong, he had suddenly found himself surrounded by watchful eyes, with his grandfather insisting he pursue a degree in business and people encouraging him to join the company, despite the fact that he was barely just out of high school. There was suddenly a rush of articles being written, rumors of Shim Corp forcing Yunho out of the company by having him enlist at such a crucial time in his career, with the intention of having Changmin take his place. Family members on his mom’s side began seeking him out, wanting to groom him to be this and that, pushing and pushing and never stopping to think of how overwhelming it was for him. Changmin had cried secretly, and soon set out to find Yunho and to try and demand he stay, but had lost all his motivation when he had found the other looking as defeated as he had, “I’m sorry Changdollie, hyung really didn’t think it through-- it’s going to be hard for you-”

It had. it had been hard; people had tried to feed him all sorts of stories, encouraging him to be vindictive against the step brother who had stolen his rightful place, all while Yunho had silently watched and heard every word spoken against him, preparing to leave. 

But Changmin? To him, Yunho had been the brother he never knew he had needed, someone to rely on, someone who was bright, and sincere and kind, and he knew he could never stand against him. Yunho, who had treated Changmin like the young boy he was, unlike the adults around him, without ever discrediting or slighting his opinions. Yunho who had just discovered his own dreams but hadn’t dared to chase them until Changmin had said he should. Yunho, who had relentlessly worked even when the whole world had turned against him. And even then, the older man had only worried for Changmin, pulling him aside the day he had to leave to apologize and insist he would step aside the moment Changmin wanted to take over despite how hard he had worked for it all. Yunho, who had just lost a friend who was so much more than just a friend to him, and needed someone more than ever.

At thirteen, Changmin had met his step-brother, rough and unpolished, unapologetically honest and kind to a fault. 

At eighteen, he had done the obvious thing and followed Yunho into mandatory service, the only way to ensure that no one would ever imply he take his hyung’s place in the company in his absence, making his stance on the subject _very_ clear. Yunho’s absence would not be taken advantage of, because Changmin would just go with him.

(Yunho had of course thrown a fit and tried to talk him out of it, but Changmin had stayed firm in his decision, much to his exasperation. Even as difficult as it was, it was a decision Changmin was still extremely proud of.)

He gulped noisily, subtly swallowing the thick feeling in his throat, trying to stay focused on his food, but he could almost hear the moment realization dawned onto Jaejoong when the other took a sharp breath, “ _Oh_. You did it for Yunho.”

Changmin resolutely kept his gaze fixed on his bowl, humming in assent, “I’d much rather he dealt with the company’s bullshit...No need for the pity Kim, I only served as a public officer.”

There was a pause before he suddenly felt Jaejoong reach over and run a hand through his hair, making him jump a little in his seat. He looked up to find the other smiling at him warmly, hand still smoothing down what he guessed was probably a stray strand on his head, “That was very badass of you baby Shim. I’m very proud.” 

Changmin’s ears immediately warmed up but he managed not to hide from the other’s unfaltering gaze, coolly shrugging him off and going back to his food. Jaejoong simply chuckled.

“Pass me the bibimbap?”

Changmin narrowed his eyes at him, not sure when the other had looked through his fridge and found the _banchan_ prepared by his househelper, but complied, too occupied with trying to keep his composure to stop and bicker, when he noticed Jaejoong grab the bowl with his left hand before quickly switching to his right with a wince. Changmin swallowed his mouthful, frowning with worry, when Jaejoong noticed him looking. 

“I must have hurt myself, huh? My shoulder’s a little sore- thanks for the peas.”

“I- uh, yeah.”

Jaejoong smiled at him, happily slurping his soup and perfectly unbothered, mouth starting to glisten more and more with each mouthful. Changmin gulped down his own _haejangguk_ with a bit of water, suddenly reminded of how the older always liked his food unreasonably spicy but determined not to let it show that he was struggling to keep up- really, this was supposed to be hangover soup.

Jaejoong popped another bite of rice into his mouth and leaned back in his seat, pointing his dripping chopsticks at Changmin with narrowed eyes, “Wait- did I hurt myself or did you punch me for revenge- be honest Min-ah.”

Changmin immediately scowled, suddenly filled with the familiar annoyance that flooded him everytime Jaejoong opened his mouth, “Maybe I should’ve, seeing how ungrateful you’re being about this- stop making a mess on the table, will you?”

Jaejoong apologized and put his chopsticks away, laughing good-naturedly and going back to his food as if he hadn’t said anything in the first place. Belatedly, Changmin realised the other had probably just said something stupid to distract Changmin from the guilt he was feeling. He recalled the other doing something similar the night before and flushed at how easy it was for Jaejoong to read and play him like that, while Changmin was having the toughest time figuring _him_ out.

They mostly ate in silence, Changmin too embarrassed, confused and a little angry to say much while Jaejoong seemed intent on polishing his bowl with obnoxiously loud slurps and hums- that was until Jaejoong decided he wanted seconds and proceeded to spill a bit of soup on his white button down, letting out a pained cry, “Fuck that was hot!” The older got up in a rush, quickly unbuttoning his shirt and went to the sink to splash cold water onto himself. He eventually took it off entirely, complaining about the ruined shirt and tried to rinse it under the flowing water.

Changmin was suddenly frozen in his seat, having been greeted by an eyeful of a pale, shirtless Jaejoong and his muscled back that was covered with ink, and couldn’t help but follow a string of letters down the length of his spine, curving into the small of his back and disappearing just above the hem of his pants. He couldn’t quite make out what it said, suddenly gripped with urge to move closer to look and maybe _touch_ -

He noticed Jaejoong was talking to him, slowly starting to turn around and oh- there were more, on the front, on his chest by his collarbones, just shy of his nipple, another below his belly button- “Min-ah, I might need to borrow a shirt from you-”

Changmin lifted his gaze, finding Jaejoong frowning down at the reddening spot on his sculpted chest and finally snapped out of whatever had just taken over him, immediately forcing himself to move and do something, anything to stop himself from gawking at Kim Jaejoong’s body for fuck’s sake. He pushed out of his chair, the noise jarring and unpleasant, quickly walking around the kitchen counter to grab a burn ointment and hastily shoved it into the other’s hands before stalking off to his bedroom to hunt for a spare shirt- too embarrassed to even fight him on it. Fortunately, Jaejoong was too preoccupied to notice the flustered state Changmin was in and simply took the items from him with a mumbled thanks. 

It wasn’t until the other was fully clothed again that Changmin dared to even look at the other, let alone make any conversation, and barked out, “Why are you such a mess?!”

Jaejoong looked up at him and chuckled, hanging his head, a soft blush starting to spread on his face and Changmin couldn’t help but picture the redness spreading down to his chest, under Changmin’s ratty old college t-shirt, stark against the black ink that swirled into an elegant cursive-

“I have been a bit all over the place since yesterday, haven’t I? I just- I don’t like being like this with Yunho, Changmin-ah... I really need your help.” 

Jaejoong looked at him, eyes wide and pleading and Changmin felt tongue-tied for all the wrong reasons, quickly trying to slap some sense into himself by chanting his brother’s name in his head, trying to remember why he had refused to help the other in the first place. Why should his answer now be any different? 

But that was just it, wasn’t it? Before yesterday, he hadn't thought anything of Jaejoong’s misery at his brother’s avoidance, but after he had seen first hand just how affected he had seemed by Changmin’s words, how once he had cycled through his fits of hysterical tears and laughter, the older had withdrawn into himself, quiet and brooding, mumbling silent apologies even as Changmin tried to shake him into reality. As tough as he tried to act, he couldn’t help but think the other’s heart might be in the right place. 

Changmin sighed, making quick work of tidying up the used dishes, determined not to look at the lost expression on the other’s face, hating that it was that easy for Kim Jaejoong to make him look past all the crap he had put Yunho through and almost a decade of resentment and make him want to help him instead.

“Did you not hear a word I said yesterday? Hyung could come out of this even worse off-”

“Or you could be wrong and this could be for the better-”

“I told you Jaejoong, I’m not going to help you-”

“Don’t. Don’t help me, help your brother- this might fix everything. I could talk to him and-”

“And what?” Changmin turned around to look at him; Jaejoong’s eyes were wide with sincerity, face scrunched up into a frown while his mouth jutted in a subconscious pout.

“And maybe we’ll both feel better afterwards and work past this. All you need to do is just get him to meet me- properly.”

“And if it doesn’t work?”

“...Then I’ll leave him alone and get out of your hair for good- there! Happy?”

“Why do you even care?”

“Of course I care! That was my best friend-”

“-was”

“Ack- no need to rub it in! If things had gone the way I wanted it to, I would never have left his side-”

“Then why did you?!”

“You _know_ why-” Jaejoong’s voice broke, and he cut himself off before he said anymore, the sounds of their harsh breathing filling the silence as they stared each other down.

Changmin couldn't do anything but sigh, running a hand over his face with a pained sigh. The older started moving about, gathering his things as he got ready to leave before stomping over to the island and furiously grabbing the dishes out of Changmin’s hands--

“Sorry for invading your space, your majesty, I’ll get out of your face. I’m probably not worthy of your help anyway-”

And wasn’t this exactly what Changmin wanted? But then why did he flinch when the other’s cold words hit him like a brick, suddenly gripped with panic and the urge to stop him however he could? He mentally swore at himself for being this weak-hearted, but he could tell that in that moment, his heart had made the choice for him and all but told him he was being a little unfair.

He shifted his weight from one leg to the other, trying to figure what to say to stop the older’s frantic cleaning. “Stop that. I...I’ll help you.”

Jaejoong dropped the plate he was holding not-so-gently into the sink and whipped his head around in a sharp movement to look at him, eyes widening in disbelief and lingering anger-- “Don’t fuck with me Changmin.”

“I wasn’t! I- I’ll help you.”

Jaejoong tilted his head in question, still suspicious, “Then tell me when? When can I see him?”

He was going to regret doing this.

He mumbled his next words as quietly as he could, praying to all sorts of deities the other wouldn’t hear him and he could walk out of this feeling morally justified for having tried, “...You _can’t_ meet him this Monday, because we are meeting up for family brunch at the mansion.”

Jaejoong’s expression twisted into a scowl, tone condescending and upset all at the same time, “Try being a little more helpful Min-ah. Tell me when he is free, not when he’s not!” 

Changmin paused, scoffing in disbelief, wondering why he was even trying to help the idiot, “ _I’m saying_ , hyung will be at the family mansion on Monday for brunch.”

“Yes, I heard you the first time. When can I meet him then?”

Changmin stared at the other, raising his eyebrow for effect.

Jaejoong blinked, and Changmin could almost see his brain work, trying to piece together the information he had just received. He saw comprehension dawn onto the other’s face, eyes wide with shock before they all but sparkled with mirth. 

Changmin was _already_ regretting this.

“If you happen to crash, and you didn’t hear it from me, he wouldn’t be able to run away- there’s no way I’m letting you see him on your own- I don’t even know why- One chance! One chance and that’s all- you hurt him again and you’re dead!”

Jaejoong broke out into a devilish grin, letting out an impressively loud whoop and all but threw himself across the kitchen to hug him, immediately hissing in pain and backing away, Changmin’s arm coming around to steady him, the other hovering over where the red patch of skin on his chest would be, “Watch out! You absolute _idiot_ -”

Jaejoong smiled even as his features remained scrunched up in pain, eyes shining before pulling him into another hug, gentler, face buried against his chest just so that his voice came out muffled, “Thank you ‘minnie.”

Changmin felt his heart give an ominous thump.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *inhales deeply * SOULFIGHT SOULFIGHTER SOULFIGHTER SOULF-


	7. Surprises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> so...changmin's mom doesn't like jaejoong *giggles*

Yunho was running late.

It was Changmin’s mom’s birthday, and the family was supposed to meet up for brunch at the mansion. They only ever had these family get-togethers if it was someone’s birthday and even then, it was usually impossible to come up with a time where all of them would be able to make it. In Ah insisted they kept the work talk away from the dining table, which really only made things much harder for them. 

Today, Yunho was pretty sure his father wouldn’t be there, and neither would his step-sister Hyejin, who had to attend the inauguration of some charity fund, but the rest of them had surprisingly been able to decide on brunch. But of course, Yunho had been stressing over an upcoming meeting with the Choi’s to discuss a potentially enormous deal and got distracted preparing for the presentation with his team, only realising at a quarter to eleven where he was supposed to be _at_ eleven. He wouldn’t even have remembered at all if not for Jungsoo’s timely reminder and had booked it out of his office. He pulled out of the parking lot, looking up the nearest flower shop on his phone’s gps and driving as fast as he could without going over the speed limit. He was peering at the device to figure out the next turn when the screen briefly turned blank, a familiar name flashing on the screen. 

Yunho perked up, swiping right to answer and quickly setting the phone on speaker mode before reverting his attention back to the road, “Junsu! I know I called but I’m late for something and driving-”

“Hyung! That’s okay, just wanted to let you know my company took care of the last of it.”

Yunho sighed in relief, chuckling to himself as he pulled into the driveway for the local florist’s place, “That’s...that’s good-” He grabbed his phone off the dashboard, quickly undoing his seatbelt and was out the door within seconds, deftly turning the speaker on his phone off and pressing it to his ear, “Thanks so much Junsu-ya. And I’m sorry you had to deal with-”

“Ah shush stop, I don’t want to hear it. We both got in trouble, it’s fine. I’ll let you go now hyung, you sound busy! Have fun, we’ll talk later!”

Yunho strode over to the shop’s door, already eying a particularly extravagant floral arrangement on the display that he was sure his step-mother would adore as he thought back to the morning after Sooyeon’s wedding and the mess that had followed. Yunho had slept well after returning from the party, the night he had briefly, so very briefly danced his heart out, and had still somehow managed to taint the beautiful memory with emotional trauma. 

He remembered how Junsu and him had watched the crowd go wild from the sidelines with matching grins and loud cheers and had finally decided to call it a night well past midnight, when Junsu had had the sense to pull his drink away from him and offer to drive him home. “I’ll bring the car back tomorrow, sleep it off hyung-”

Yunho hadn’t thought much of the man taking his car, knowing very well that Junsu could afford to buy ten of the Audi he drove just on an impulse and had happily sent him off with a hug and a friendly pat on the butt.

It wasn’t until the morning after that he had thought about it, after being rudely woken up by call from Jungsoo at five, “Yunho-ya, don’t leave the house, there might be journalists gathered outside. We’re working on it already but it might take a minute. I’m sure with Junsu-ssi’s company on it too, we’ll have it sorted in no time. ”

Yunho had been disoriented and absolutely lost on what Jungsoo was talking about until the man had painstakingly explained the whole ordeal to him. 

Turns out publicly dancing with a male partner, who was also a celebrity, and then driving home with said celebrity in his car had made for an excellent opportunity for gossip, one that some upstart journalist that had been at the party had not wasted a second of and had promptly followed them all the way, recording all sorts of incriminating footage- of them dancing together (smiling, laughing, hands on each other-), Junsu helping him out of the car so he wouldn’t trip on his own feet (Yunho slumped into his side, face tucked into the space between his neck and shoulder, Junsu’s hand on his waist-), all the way until they had disappeared into Yunho’s apartment and conveniently failed to obtain any footage of when Junsu had then emerged soon after.

Yunho was ashamed to recall just how hard he had panicked, growing more and more anxious with each word out of Jungsoo even as the man had repeatedly reassured him that it was already being taken care of, what with their lawyers buying rights to the footage and striking a deal so they wouldn’t be released. He had called Junsu in a daze, only to find the man awake and perfectly calm about the news, “Ah yes hyung, stuff like this tends to happen. This wasn’t nearly as bad as some of the things I’ve gotten myself into! Don’t worry about it.”

“I’m so sorry about this- you what?”

“Hyung, I’m a celebrity. So are you...sort of! Have you never had any dating scandals? I once got photographed on a date with my girlfriend and let’s just say those photos were not necessarily as innocent as anything that could have been taken last night. ”

“I- you...Junsu-ya, _we’re men._ ”

“That we are! All the more reason for people to write it off as platonic interactions- which they were, so really there’s nothing we need to worry about. Funny how homophobia can also protect us sometimes, no?”

Yunho could not see how any of it was funny, really, but he murmured his half-hearted assent, hearing Junsu sigh dramatically at the other end, “You’re still worrying, aren’t you? I promise it’ll be fine! My company is excellent at squashing any and all traces of all my relationships- even from myself sometimes.”

Yunho startled at Junsu’s sharp laughter, certain he could hear a more than obvious bitterness underlying the sound but his concerned ‘Junsu...’ was easily dismissed by the younger with a simple “Forget I said anything hyung, just part and parcel of the celebrity life.” 

Not knowing what more to say, he had hung up, but not before mumbling a few more apologies, and before he knew it, he was already setting out to get to the company, wanting to meet with his lawyers personally to put his mind at ease. He’d spent the better part of the day pulling at his hair in frustration and cursing his own stupidity, and when he walked into a conference room for the meeting, it was the first time he had found himself unable to lift his head, feeling ashamed of his actions. 

Junsu had been incredibly supportive throughout the whole process, and it really surprised how quickly the man’s company had erased all traces of the incident. It occured to Yunho that Junsu probably had a whole lot more to lose, shuddering to imagine how the country would react should Asia’s sweetheart get outed and felt even worse for constantly reaching out to the other with his worries for himself. But the younger had been nothing but understanding and sympathetic for him, even if it usually came with a side of inappropriate humor and laughter that somehow bordered between narcissism and self-deprecation. 

Really, the more Yunho got to know the Junsu, the more intrigued he was by the other’s ability to make perfect sense while making absolutely no sense, immediately putting Yunho at ease about his own problems while also making him worry for _him_. They had quickly taken to keeping in contact, Junsu never failing to call him up every now and then and Yunho appreciated being able to check in on the eccentric younger man.

He quickly picked the almost gaudy looking bouquet and rushed through his transaction when his phone went off again. Finding Changmin’s name flashing on the screen ,Yunho wrote it off as the younger probably calling to remind him to hurry and ignored it. He was back in the car and expertly navigating through traffic and pulling into the Shim abode in record time. When he strolled in, a staff member greeted and directed him to the patio. Yunho was prepared to launch into a speech to apologize for his tardiness when he found himself frozen yet again at the sight before him.

Because there he was yet again, positively beaming at Changmin’s mother even as she eyed him with poorly veiled distaste, “Eommoni~ I didn’t know it was your birthday today!”

_Why in the hell was Kim Jaejoong at In Ah’s birthday brunch?_

Yunho caught sight of Changmin’s wide eyed look in his direction before he was pointedly looking away and he knew the younger had to be involved. He was contemplating turning the other way and walking right back out when In Ah noticed him, calling out his name and drawing everyone else’s attention towards him. He walked to them.

Yunho’s stomach dropped as Jaejoong perked up immediately before slowly raising his hand in a half-wave, a tentative smile on his face. He was dressed in a loose baby blue button down, hair swept over his forehead in a way that framed his face perfectly, giving him a soft appearance, eyes glinting brown and long eyelashes casting delicate shadows on pale skin glowing in the sunlight, looking every bit as handsome as he always did, if not more. He looked cute, _really cute._

Yunho took a deep breath and stepped forward with a smile that felt stiff even to him, jerking his head back to In Ah’s curious gaze and tried to act like he wasn’t flustered.

“Eommonim.” Yunho bowed respectfully before straightening up and offering the bouquet to the woman with both his hands, trying his best not to be too focussed on a certain someone’s eyes on him. 

In Ah smiled at him warmly, a stark contrast to the cold, calculating gaze he was used to seeing at work-related events, passing off the bouquet to a staff member before beckoning him forward. Yunho complied with a kiss on the cheek and wishing for her good health, quickly taking his seat on the circular table that was sporting an unnecessarily wide variety of food, right next to In Ah, but across from Changmin and unfortunately, also Kim Jaejoong. 

He greeted them quietly again, making a face that he hoped passed for a smile; Changmin merely avoided his gaze while Jaejoong’s grin brightened ever so slightly in response. Yunho found himself averting his gaze too, choosing instead to focus on the dishes laid out in front of him, letting out a small sigh once he deemed everyone sufficiently distracted by the arrival of staff with even more food. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves all around them in the garden and Yunho’s eyes momentarily fluttered close, battling the sudden uneasiness that had taken hold of his heart by trying to feel the crisp October air and the sun on his skin to center himself. 

Unfortunately for him, the moment didn’t last very long and he opened his eyes to the sight of unwavering chocolate orbs fixed on him, inquisitive but hesitant; Yunho startled and looked away but before he could muster up the courage to even look at Jaejoong in the eyes again, he was saved by In Ah suddenly piping in to play hostess.

“Jiyeon-ah, aren’t you going to greet Yunho?”

“Wh- Jiyeonie!” 

Yunho’s eyes widened in surprise, wondering just how caught up he’d been in his own mental anguish that he had completely failed to notice his youngest sister’s presence, “ I didn’t see you there- You haven’t been answering my calls. How are you?” 

Yunho didn’t mean to tell on her, but Jiyeon glared at him for the slipup anyway. In Ah bristled at the information, rounding on the youngest seated on her other side with narrowed eyes, while his sister schooled her expression into a well-practiced mask of innocence when faced with her mother’s wrath, “Why weren’t you answering his calls?”

“Ah, mom! I was just busy, oppa is calling all the time-”

“Shim Jiyeon, sending a quick text to let hyung know you’re alive won’t take 500 years.” Changmin chimed in, pinning the youngest with a disapproving glare. 

In Ah whipped her head around, “That’s rich coming from you son, how come you never call me back?”

Changmin spluttered.“I- mom! I’ve been really busy-”

Jaejoong let out an ungraceful snort at the display, making a show of trying to muffle the sound behind his palm but not quite succeeding, either oblivious or content to just ignore In Ah glaring daggers at him. Yunho caught sight of Changmin’s eyes widening in horror before the younger was nudging the blonde next to him in warning and Yunho was _certain_ Changmin had something to do with the appearance of their unexpected guest, the betrayal leaving him feeling slightly offended before he tried to talk himself down from being _upset_ at something as stupid as this. From the apologetic look Changmin shot him, it didn’t seem he was succeeding to keep it off his face. He felt even more unsettled, trying and failing to imagine why Changmin of all people would want Jaejoong here.

Yunho startled when he felt In Ah releasing a long-suffering sigh beside him, before a hand was resting on his shoulder and he was pinned with a forced smile, “Ah yes Yunho, look who’s joined us today! As _charming_ as always- it’s just like him to show up unannounced and uninvited-” She broke off into a peel of high-pitched laughter that Yunho couldn’t help but flinch away from, and subtly turned his head around to glance back at Jaejoong, remembering how In Ah had always disliked Jaejoong and been unreasonably cold to him even when they were teenagers. He probably didn’t manage much besides confusion on his face, still wondering why Jaejoong would want to be here, after all, In Ah’s distaste of him was hardly a secret from anyone, much of all Jaejoong himself.

Everyone at the table held their breath, unsure of how their guest would react to the outright insult, but instead of being offended, Jaejoong’s mouth merely pressed into a coy smile that dissolved into a soft chuckle soon after, face a perfect facade of innocence even as his eyes shone with a glint of mischief most familiar to Yunho, “Ah yes, eommoni, you got me! Oh how I missed having these pleasant meals with the Shims, I should come by more often!”

In Ah’s fork clanged against her plate, completely out of character for the well-groomed socialite that she was as Changmin shot the man a confused look, not quite catching on to what Jaejoong was doing before his eyes cleared in understanding, suddenly wary. Yunho could hear Jiyeon’s sharp intake from the other end of the table and forced down the snort threatening to bubble out of _him_ \- of course, even after all these years, Jaejoong still hadn’t lost his almost professional ability to get under people’s skin when he wanted to, easily managing to fluster In Ah out of proper conduct while being perfectly polite himself. It wouldn’t be the first time anyway, the other always having used his talent for trouble especially around Changmin’s mom. 

“Yes, meal. Pleasant meal, we’re here to eat! Let’s start, I’m starving.”

Changmin’s nervous babble took him by surprise but he could see the younger was trying his hardest not to let it show, quickly beginning to shovel food down his throat before anyone could interrupt, making Yunho narrow his eyes at him in suspicion. Changmin stole a quick look at him before averting his gaze, clearing his throat loudly and digging back in.

“Changmin! Where are your manners? You should’ve waited until-”

“Starving, famished, ravenous-”

“Okay, okay- Good gracious Min-ah, we need to work on your table conduct! Have you not been eating well?”

“Eommoni, have you been starving your son? I have a cookbook coming out soon, I’ll send a copy your way so ‘minnie can eat well from now on.” 

Changmin’s head snapped up to stare at the blonde with a gaze that was equal parts murderous and terrified before he spoke quietly through clenched teeth, “I’m eating just fine, thank you. And it’s Changmin to you-”

Jaejoong merely flashed him a bright smile, before turning to In Ah again, eyes gleaming as he nonchalantly scooped up a bite of his eggs into his mouth. Yunho stared at them perplexed, wondering why Jaejoong was determined to invite a colossal disaster by provoking both the woman and her son, especially since Changmin hadn’t miraculously taken a liking to the older and would clearly not be protecting him from her wrath. In Ah looked between the two of them, taken aback at the younger’s hostility towards his guest and Yunho had never thought he would ever relate to the woman on something this much, feeling her confusion.

Changmin slowly looked up from where he had been focussing on his food, finding Yunho and In Ah’s twin stares trained on him before stealing a sideways glance at Jaejoong and cleared his throat, “Apologies, I was just making sure Jaejoong would respect how I preferred to be addressed.” 

Jiyeon let out a quiet giggle at the stiff response, making In Ah start out of her own daze and he could practically feel the annoyance in her start to build, whipping around to glare at their sister- 

“Did you hear about Choi Sooyoung’s return?”

Yunho mouth fell open a little before he snapped it shut and continued chewing on a piece of fruit thoughtfully, feeling more and more unsettled since he could tell Changmin was distracting his mother for Jaejoong’s sake, but _why_ -

In Ah’s attention slowly shifted and settled on his brother, the annoyance on her face slowly but surely getting replaced with intrigue, even though Yunho could tell the woman was too smart to actually have moved on from it and would surely corner his brother later, “Choi Sooyoung, you say? Why Changmin, I never knew the two of you were acquaintances. She is a very accomplished young woman-”

“Of course we are acquaintances, you know we’ve met at countless functions for the sake of our family businesses-”

“Yes but you have never expressed any interest in her absence or her return. I must speak to the Choi’s and set you two up for-”

“Mom, can I mention someone without you trying to set us up?!”

“Of course son, but Choi Sooyoung isn’t just someone. We have been dealing with the Chois for years...We’ve known her since you were both children- she’s well read, polite, beautiful- not to mention extremely smart! Quite fitting for our family don’t you think? A little older than I would like...but she’s perfect.”

Changmin fixed her with a half-hearted glare before leaning back in his seat and gesturing to Yunho with a tilt of his head, “Shouldn’t hyung get married first? Choi Sooyoung will be a perfect match for him too-”

Yunho mouth dropped open at the proposition, ready to pull the younger aside and threaten him a little to demand why he was determined to disturb Yunho’s piece of mind this fine morning; first dragging Jaejoong here without a warning and now shamelessly selling him out to his mother-

“Oh oppa, you know Sooyoung unni won’t exactly be family if she marries Yunho oppa-”

“Jiyeon!” Changmin's voice echoed in the space around them, ringing loud as Yunho stiffened in his seat, failing to pretend it didn’t hurt to hear her say that. 

“I- I didn’t mean anything by it, just you know, Y-Yunho oppa kept his name-”

“It's-” Yunho cleared his throat to dislodge the sudden thickness blocking his voice, thankful it still came out strong and stable when he spoke up again, his tone coming out too mechanical to appear unaffected, “Changmin-ah, calm down. Jiyeon just meant about my family name, it’s alright-”

“Hyung-” 

In Ah cut in sharply before Changmin could continue, “Changmin, that’s enough. Jiyeon, apologize to Yunho.”

“It’s okay, I really didn’t-”

“Oppa I-I’m really sorry, that’s not what I meant I promise.”

“It’s alright!” Yunho forced out a chuckle to put the red-faced teenager at ease, finding it easy enough to forgive her but not so easy to ignore a certain gaze on him. 

He was _embarrassed_ for Jaejoong to have seen this side of him yet again, even after years had passed, still just as pitiful and miserable and out of place, the thought making his face heat up in shame. He tried his best to keep his gaze on his food and a smile on his face to compensate for the sudden sour mood that had resulted because of him. He could feel Changmin stewing in his anger and undoubtedly planning to chew out their sister later but Yunho was too flustered to say the right things, or anything really, to calm him down. Surprisingly, it was Jaejoong’s clear voice that rang out in the suffocating quietness, all eyes turning to him at the sudden interruption.

“Our Yunho is too good for Choi Sooyoung anyway... And Sooyoung is too good for Changmin.” 

Yunho stared at the blonde who was looking back at him with wide eyes, uncomprehending of what the other had just said before his gaze dropped back down. He had said it so easily, ‘ _our_ Yunho’, and casually complimented him in the same breath as he’d made fun of his brother, almost like Yunho had meant something to him still, like joking to make him feel better was something he was allowed to do after everything. He wanted to feel bitter, and yet his heart _soared_ at the familiarity.

In Ah was the first to recover, scoffing but Yunho could tell she was relieved to have a distraction. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Changmin unfreezing before slowly moving to focus back on his plate, breathing out long and slow as he picked up a fork and mindlessly began playing with his food.

In Ah let out a quiet chuckle, voice dripping with fake politeness and an edge of desperation to save the situation, “My Changmin is not good enough for the Choi’s? Could it be that you are interested in Sooyoung for yourself Jaejoong?”

Jaejoong paused long enough that it made Yunho risk a glance up at his face again despite his own burning with shame, only to find the older’s expression contemplative before he settled on a choice, a certain wickedness shining through his eyes that Yunho knew from experience could only mean trouble.

“...Sooyoung? Please! Mrs Shim you must know that I would much rather have Choi Siwon than his sister.”

A stunned silence followed the casual statement, In Ah sputtering at the sudden admission of what was all but taboo in their community, always one to strive for casual denial than accept the scandalous truth-

“Ahah, ah yes, Siwon is quite handsome... that he would even have such an effect on men! But you surely must have plans for marriage, yes?”

Jaejoong immediately leaned forward and pouted at the woman, “Of course, but I wouldn’t be able to do it here now, would I? I would have to drag poor Siwon back to LA-”

In Ah’s fork slipped out of her hand and clattered onto her plate. He could see Changmin’s eyes practically bugging out of his sockets as he slowly pushed a glass of cold water towards his mother, earlier anger forgotten at the sudden turn of events. In Ah ignored the offering, slowly reaching out and correcting the _placement_ of the silverware of all things, hands shaking dramatically in anger, making the task twice as difficult for her. Changmin slowly pulled the glass back.

The sight was absurd enough that Yunho could feel an incredulous laugh threatening to burst out of his mouth, lips twitching with the effort to stay silent despite his earlier disgruntlement. Through the corner of his eyes, he caught Jaejoong looking at him with curiosity before breaking out into a full-fledged grin when he noticed Yunho’s predicament. Yunho couldn’t help but widen his eyes in warning for him not to push it, like he would in their younger days and found himself perplexed at the easy return of a seven year old habit- but just like he would in their younger days, Jaejoong ignored his warnings and happily pushed on, a devilish grin splitting his mouth that made Yunho want to laugh right along with him, incredulous-

“-and of course I want a billion children! If only the male anatomy was built to handle that, I would have Siwon-”

“Jaejoong! Would you like to see the pool in the gardens?” Yunho hollered as he rose from his seat, startling everyone but he didn’t dare look back at In Ah’s face or he would lose his composure, almost convinced this was all for _his_ benefit and he could put an end to it before the woman could suffer a nervous breakdown. He quickly rounded the table, ready to grab at Jaejoong’s arm and run when he heard In Ah breathe in sharply, but there was no need, as the other grinned at him and rose from his seat gracefully, “I would love to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *rubs hands together* ITS YUNJAE TIME
> 
> leave me comments you precious people!! it makes my day to go through it all <3


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